New chair for SAOS

Following the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd (SAOS) recent AGM (13 Aug), Rory Christie has been appointed as their new Chairman, with Andy McGowan taking on the Vice Chair role.

Rory, a well-known figure in Scottish agriculture through various roles, farms in partnership with his brother Gregor at Dourie Farming near Newton Stewart in Southwest Scotland. Andy McGowan is Managing Director of Scottish Pig Producers (SPP) and is equally prolific in the broader food and farming sector in Scotland.

Rory Christie is a passionate co-operator, believing that working together is vital for tackling many of the challenges facing the farming and food sector. He worked closely with SAOS to form the Milk Suppliers Association, of which he is Chair, bringing together over one hundred dairy farmers to strengthen their power in the supply chain, and he joined the SAOS Council around the same time.

Rory has been a key member of NFU Scotland Milk Committee for many years and was integral to their work to help secure the statutory instrument on milk contracts legislation for the benefit all dairy farmers. He readily shares his energy and enthusiasm for fairness in supply chains, and in the workplace, having spoken in the last year at the Oxford Farming Conference and at the Dairy Farmers of Canada conference in Ottawa. Rory has also shared learnings from the Fast Breeders crossbreeding project he is involved in with the British Cattle Breeders Club, and appeared in a video from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who have provided funding for the wider roll out of the project, recognising its potential to help farmers around the world.

Rory commented:

“I’m very proud to take on the role of SAOS Chairman. Co-operation and working together effectively is paramount to tackling the major challenges facing food producers and their supply chains. SAOS and their subsidiaries have a joined-up approach to tackling vital issues and turning a problem into an opportunity. I’m passionate about the business, it punches well above its weight for a relatively small organisation and I’m keen to help spread the word about them to a wider audience.”

Andy McGowan has also been involved with the SAOS Council for several years, having initially been the representative for Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) when he worked there. Along with his MD role at Scottish Pig Producers, he is also a Board Member of Scotland Food & Drink and QMS, and is a key figure in the meat industry.

Andy added:

“I’ve respected SAOS for many years. From helping family farm businesses to survive through co-operation, to their wider work with ScotEID, Food Integrity Assurance and SmartRural, they make a real difference, not only to Scottish agricultural, but to the entire food and farming industry. They are not daunted by a challenge, and I’m delighted to be involved.”

SAOS was initially formed as a Society to further co-operation in Scottish agricultural organisations in 1905. Over a hundred years later, co-ops remain key to SAOS’s work, but this remit has expanded to explore and convert wider opportunities in food and drink supply chains, technology, innovation, data, quality assurance and climate change response.

SAOS is a co-op, owned by around 55 member co-operatives with a collective turnover of around £1.5 billion.

More details about SAOS can be found at their website: SAOS | Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd | Home