Professor Ian Crute CBE

Professor Crute is Chief Scientist at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board with overall responsibility for co-ordinating and shaping the R&D and Knowledge Transfer work of the levy board. Previously he had been head of the Crop and Environment Protection Department at East Malling Research, head of Plant Pathology & later Director at HRI-Warwick, followed by Director of Rothamsted Research.

His committee and board memberships include: Chairman of the Board of Trustee Directors of the Sainsbury Laboratory; Board Member of the Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Network Ltd; Member of the Lead Expert Group for the “Global Future of Food and Farming” Foresight project; and Member of the Steering Group of the Technology Strategy Board’s Sustainable Agri-Food Innovation Platform. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s 2010 New Year’s Honours for services to plant science and has recently been conferred with an Honorary DSc. from Harper-Adams University College and been appointed a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.