Andrea Leadsom has today been announced as the government's new Environment Secretary after a string of Cabinet appointments.
She has served as Minister of State for Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change since 11 May 2015, having held the post of Economic Secretary to the Treasury from April 2014.
After studying political science at bachelor's level at the University of Warwick, she worked in junior roles, including as a personal assistant, at Barclays and Invesco Perpetual.
She was a prominent member of the Leave campaign during the 2016 EU referendum and gained prominence in referendum TV debates.
The former Environment Secretary, Liz Truss, has been appointed to her new role of Justice Secretary after 2 years of being the government spokeswoman for British farming and environmental interests.
Theresa May continues to build her new Government after a slew of key appointments last night.
'Reduce uncertainty in the rural economy'
The President of the CLA, which represents 32,000 landowners, farmers and rural businesses in England and Wales, has welcomed the appointment of Andrea Leadsom as Defra Secretary.
The organisation is calling on her to reduce uncertainty in the rural economy by making clear commitments on five priority issues.
CLA President Ross Murray said: "We look forward to working with the new Defra Secretary and her team as farmers and other rural businesses work to make the most of the opportunities, and tackle the challenges, that are ahead.
"Highest on the agenda will be immediate action to reduce uncertainty in the wake of the vote for Brexit.
"We will be asking Andrea Leadsom to make swift commitments on five priority issues for the rural economy – ensuring direct payments up to 2020; honouring agri-environment agreements; establishing a new food, farming and environmental policy to succeed and better the CAP; engaging in full and clear consultation with farmers; and honouring commitments under current EU structural fund programmes.
"Government and farmers together have a unique opportunity to create better outcomes for the agriculture sector, the rural economy and the environment.
"We look forward to discussing this opportunity with the new Defra Secretary at the earliest opportunity."
'Shape a better dairy industry'
Welcoming the new cabinet and ministerial posts announced by Prime Minister Theresa May today, Dairy UK Chief Executive Dr Judith Bryans has said the UK government needs to help shape the future of the dairy industry.
"The UK dairy industry has tremendous potential for growth in the global stage and the Government must provide the right framework to help make our sector more resilient, competitive and profitable.
"We congratulate Ms Leadsom on her appointment as Defra Secretary of State and we particularly look forward to building a strong working relationship with her and continuing our constructive collaboration with Defra officials.
"The dairy industry has serious challenges ahead but also many opportunities and we ask Ms Leadsom and her team to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our industry throughout the Brexit negotiations.
"Dairy is vital to Britain’s economy, environment and diet and therefore it is clearly within the Government’s interest to ensure that this industry is well-supported.
"There is much at stake and we count on Defra’s support to foster growth and success in our great UK dairy industry.
"Our industry is adaptable, resilient and determined with the skills and innovation to rise to the many challenges we encounter.
"We will continue to liaise with the UK Government, devolved administrations and all relevant organisations to promote the interests of the UK dairy sector and help to steer our industry in the right direction."
'Crucial time'
Nick von Westenholz, CEO of the Crop Protection Association said he congratulated Ms Leadsom's appointment as a 'crucial' time for British farming.
"Farming, more than any other sector, will be enormously affected by the result of the EU referendum and the new Secretary of State has a key role to play in the forthcoming negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world.
"For the crop protection industry it is vital that the UK continues to promote a science based approach to regulation in Europe while the UK remains part of the EU.
"Longer term there must be a smooth transition to life outside the EU where we can continue to incentivise and support the crop protection sector whilst promoting modern, productive agriculture and a competitive UK farming sector.
"Our industry looks forward to working with the new Secretary of State to develop a new and improved system that champions a science led regulatory approach and which supports UK farmers in ensuring a healthy, safe, reliable and affordable food supply."
A look back at Liz Truss' life as Environment Secretary
On 15 July 2014, a cabinet reshuffle appointed Truss as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, replacing Owen Paterson, and becoming the youngest female cabinet minister in British history.
In apparent contrast to her predecessor, Owen Paterson, Truss declared that she fully believed that climate change is happening, and that "human beings have contributed to that."
In November 2014, Truss launched a new 10-year bee and pollinator strategy to try and reverse the trend of falling bee populations, including a strategy to revive traditional meadows which provide the most fertile habitat for pollinators.
In July 2015, she approved the limited temporary lifting of an EU ban on the use of two neonicotinoid pesticides, enabling their use for 120 days on about 5% of England’s oil seed rape crop to ward off the cabbage stem flea beetle; campaigners have warned that pesticides have been shown to harm bees by damaging their renowned ability to navigate home.
Liz Truss' 2014 remarks that "we import two-thirds of our cheese", and "opening up new pork markets" in Beijing were widely mocked on social media and on the satirical current affairs programme, Have I Got News For You?.
Truss cut taxpayer subsidies for solar panels on agricultural land, as her view was that the land could be better used to grow crops, food and vegetables.
She described farming and food as "hotbeds of innovation" and promoted the production and export of British food, including cheese, pork pies and apples.
This year, she has campaigned heavily against the UK wanting to leave the European Union, focusing on issues that farmers will be worse off with access to the single market.
She said: "What we know is less trade would mean fewer investments. It would mean fewer jobs and that would feed through to people’s incomes."
