John Purchase FORMER- CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) of South Africa.
Prior to taking up the position with Agbiz, he was the CEO of Grain South Africa. Dr Purchase started his professional career as a scientist in South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC). In effect he served the ARC for 22 years in various research and managerial positions.
John was appointed to the Board of the Land & Agricultural Bank of South Africa in July 2012, as well as appointed as Council Member to the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) by the South African Cabinet. John is the current chairman of the CEO Forum, a forum of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in which the CEO’s and MD’s of agribusinesses and organized agriculture meet with the Minister and senior executives of DAFF (government) to address the critical and strategic challenges facing the broader agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries of South Africa.
John was also appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to serve on the Reference Group that provided direction and oversight in the development of DAFF’s Integrated Growth and Development Plan (IGDP) for the South African agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, as well as currently serves on the AgriBEE Charter Council.
He serves on various Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) committees and NEDLAC task teams with regard to policy and legislation matters impacting on the agro-food industry, such as co-operatives legislation, consumer protection legislation (GM labelling), climate change and carbon tax policy, land reform policy and legislation, spatial planning and land use management legislation, expropriation legislation, et cetera.
Among other awards, he received the 2011 Alumnus of the Year award from the University of the Free State, as well as the 2012 South African Agriculturalist of the Year Award from the South African Agricultural Writers Association. In June 2013 he was also elected to the Board of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA), following the IFAMA World Forum held in Atlanta, USA, in June 2013. Agribiz
