Andrew Crawford

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

• Farm Manager, Cambridge Geography Graduate, international business professional, leader and mentor. Farm management experience for over twenty-five years in irrigation systems, livestock, arable and plantation management in sustainable vertically integrated supply chains.
• Hands-on day to day management of a farming operation with high priority on field walking to assess crops and livestock development.
• P&L responsibility, strategic understanding and overview of risk management in farm land investment spread across various geographies and crop types. 
• Expertise in development of rural projects with attention to trends in sustainability and application of new technology to increase farm productivity and margins. 
• Parallel emphasis on regeneration and improved soil fertility with reduced need for inputs. Leadership focus on building team culture with spirit of individual empowerment and taking ownership, adept at change management programmes. 
• Hands-on management attitude with in-field crop monitoring. 
• Proactive in cross department relationships, business development capabilities, financial acumen, commercial intelligence, marketeer, multicultural approach and ambassador for the company. 
• Fluent in English and Portuguese. 
• Passion for farming, the countryside and natural environment. 

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

LEADERSHIP

• In all companies established a working environment aligned with the company´s culture. Identified talent and directed, mentored and created an empowered team organisation structure, with a high-volume work capacity to deliver agreed KPIs in the AOPs. 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• At Diageo formulated, led and integrated health and safety culture in high-risk environment; reducing an incidence of 9 work accidents per year to 1,420 days without any work accident.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY

• At Mahi Pono improved agricultural efficiency delivering production in an environmentally sustainable manner, driving costs down and achieving budget KPIs.

IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE

• Implemented Diageo culture after Ypioca acquisition, integrating staff and processes into the Diageo Code of Conduct, ZeroHarm work safety concept, compliance, company operational and financial best practice.

SUPPLIER/OUTGROWER RELATIONSHIPS

• Managed annual financing and supply contracts of Outgrower sugar cane crop. Organized extension work with Outgrowers to increase their yields and financial return. Established Outgrower Open Days to promote sustainability and agriculturalgood practice.

CAREER HISTORY

2022-present Cambridge Agribusiness Management, Senior Advisor supporting farming and agribusiness projects, including evaluation of efficacy in delivery of on-farm field operations.

2021-2022 Mahi Pono, General Manager of Farming, Hawaii responsible for strategy, planting and cultivation of 2,900 irrigated hectares of citrus and tropical tree crops.

Achievements:

• Strategic planning of land allocation for projected further 5,100 irrigated ha.
• Manpower and machinery resource allocation planning.
• Management of nurseries for delivery of tree liners and up-potting. 
• Installation and usage of drip and fanjet irrigation.
• Delivery of irrigation schedules, including use of fertigation and chemigation.
• Installation of weed-mat and agrochemical control of weeds.
• Pest and disease scouting with agrochemical application as required.
• Planning of future harvest operations to integrate with packhouse operations.

2019-2020 Cambridge Agribusiness Management, Senior Advisor delivering two market reports in Brazil on take-up of bio-stimulants for application in sugarcane and adoption of new cane sett technology at planting. 

Achievements:

• Background analysis of sugarcane sector in Brazil. 
• Study of current best practice in sugarcane production in Brazil to maximise productivity per hectare.
• Segmentation of potential market in Brazil.
• Field visits and meetings with sugar mills, distilleries and Outgrowers in Brazil. 
• Survey of distribution and sales strategy of agricultural inputs in Brazil.
• Recommendations to increase market share and accelerate product brand growth in the Brazilian market. 

2012-18 Diageo, Brazil, Head of Agricultural Operations, responsible for the company’s sugar cane plantations in semi-arid region in the North East of Brazil with team of up to 360 staff at peak periods. 

Achievements:

• Improved soil fertility through focus on regeneration, aligned with progressive reduction in the use of agrochemicals. 
• Managed fire prevention strategy, including setting up of trained in-house fire brigade. Rapid response time to wild-fire incidents to minimise the spread of the fire. Established no-smoking culture to minimise risk.
• Programmed large-scale irrigation activities across the plantation during the sugar cane crop cycle with careful water usage planning.
  • Use of central pivots, hose-reels and pumping stations.
  • Planned maintenance of all equipment.
  • Training of irrigation operators.
  • 24/7 rota to optimise usage of equipment.
  • Care taken with drainage to avoid ground waterlogging and salinization. 
  • Water borehole drilling, reservoir construction and maintenance.
• Directed Health & Safety culture achieving Zero Lost Time Accidents over 1,420 days.
• Led on change management in all areas after Diageo´s acquisition of Ypioca in Brazil.
• Evaluation in Diageo´s annual staff Values Survey for 2017 at 91%, a result only 2 percentage points less than the Diageo Best in Class site across its global operations.
• Initiated strategic improvement projects focused on higher efficiency to reduce operating costs across all activities with defined deadlines for on-time delivery. 
• Improved processes and procedures to provide accurate Activity Based Costing to show a precise ROI on operational activities and project improvements. 
• Managed capacity building with introduction of staff training and recycling courses, including use of mechanical equipment. 
• Organised sugar cane harvest logistics within planned timelines.
• Guaranteed minimal downtime of cane harvester fleet and cane planting machinery.
• Introduced more productive sugar cane varieties.
• Programmed large-scale irrigation activities with careful water usage planning.
• Managed Outgrower activities to supply 35% of annual sugar cane production.

 1981-1989 Agropecuaria CFM  -  Vestey Group, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil, Farm and Estate Manager, Fazenda Sao Joao.                                                                              

A well-established vertically integrated business, No.1 in the UK meat trade and very strong in global markets. Supply chain activities included agricultural production, abattoirs, cold storage, shipping, logistics and property. The Brazilian operation carried over 45,000 ha of crops and 125,000 head of cattle across 15 farms. Promoted to Farm and Estate Manager, Fazenda São João in 1984 to manage 6,000 ha, with a further 1,500 ha of natural forest reserve, in the state of Sao Paulo. 250 staff employed.

Achievements:

• Delivered profitable P&L, planning of AOPs, monthly reporting.
• Motivated staff to achieve production objectives in the field.
• Increased crop yield/productivity p/ha. Managed 84% increase in planted crop area from 1,900 ha to 3,500 ha.
• Managed 250 ha coffee plantation and 132 ha rubber tree plantation.
• Organised harvest logistics for an increased yield to 110,000 tons from sugar cane plantation. Controlled burning of cane blocks for cutting by hand.
• Raised breeding standard in 6,000 herd/cattle by implementation of genetic improvement scheme and AI. 
• Participated in all cattle handling operations and pasture management decisions and present at kills at slaughterhouse.
• Worked with full cycle through from calf drop, weaning, bulling heifers and cows, artificial insemination, pregnancy testing to steer fattening on grass. 
• Reduced operational costs and minimised waste by implementing strict controls.

Education:  MA, Geography and Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge

Professional Memberships: National Farmers Union, Countryside Landowners Association Tropical Agriculture Association. 

Languages: English-native speaker, Portuguese-fluent, German-good++, Spanish-moderate