2026 Speakers

Minette Batters made history as the first woman elected President of the National Farmers’ Union in its 113-year history, representing over 46,000 farming businesses across England and Wales.  

Her leadership spanned critical periods including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. A passionate advocate for British food and farming, she led a landmark campaign in 2020 that garnered over one million signatures to protect food standards. She co-founded ‘Ladies in Beef’ and the Great British Beef Week, and is a regular media contributor. 

A tenant farmer on the Longford Estate in Wiltshire, she began farming in 1998 and now runs a diversified business including beef, arable crops, events, and floriculture. A trained Cordon Bleu chef and former amateur jockey, she is also a dedicated charity fundraiser, having raised over £100,000. In 2024, she became a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords and was previously appointed Deputy Lieutenant to Queen Elizabeth.