SUFFOLK countryside campaigner Lady Caroline Cranbrook is due to be the guest on BBC Radio Four's 'Desert Island Discs' this Sunday.

Colin Adwent

SUFFOLK countryside campaigner Lady Caroline Cranbrook is due to be the guest on BBC Radio Four's 'Desert Island Discs' this Sunday.

Lady Cranbrook, who lives on the family farm at Great Glemham, will reveal her favourite music and the luxury item she would take to a desert island.

She has become renowned as a champion of local and regional produce.

Since 1997 Lady Cranbrook has campaigned against the power of the supermarkets, which she believes gives them unfair advantage when dealing with their suppliers and with local planners.

Her research has shown that when an area is not saturated with too many or too large supermarkets, small food producers and small retailers flourish to the benefit of consumer choice, the local economy and tourism.

She is currently involved in battle to prevent a large new Tesco superstore opening in Halesworth and is vice-president of the Suffolk branch of the CLA (Country Land and Business Association).

Lady Cranbrook regularly appears on radio and television to speak on food, food marketing and livestock farming.

After leading a campaign to prevent the closure of small abattoirs she was named Radio 4 'Food Programme Campaigner of the Year'. In 2006 was awarded the OBE for services to the red meat industry.

Currently she chairs the Eastern Region Grazing Forum for Natural England, is a trustee of the Suffolk Punch Trust, a board member of Choose Suffolk and president of the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival.

Lady Cranbrook's scheduled Desert Island Discs broadcast is at 11.15am on Sunday and due to be repeated on Friday, June 5 at 9am.