About Us - Livestock Information Ltd

About Us

Livestock Information Ltd (LI Ltd) is a technology delivery partner providing statutory reporting services for the UK government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The company was established in 2019 and forms part of Defra’s Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP); a Defra change programme set up to lead the transformation of livestock traceability in England.

LI Ltd’s core service is the Livestock Information Service (LIS) for reporting movements of sheep, goat and deer in England from one holding to another or throughout the supply chain. The service was deployed in March 2022, replacing the old ARAMS system, and has provided a monumental step towards increasing digital movement reporting and enhancing the quality of traceability data.

Additional services provided by LI Ltd include the ear tagging service LUIS (Livestock Unique Identification Service) which enables unique identification ear tag allocation for cattle, sheep, and goats across Great Britain; the sheep UK View which collates movement data from England, Wales and Scotland traceability systems to provide a single consolidated view; and the sheep Developer Hub which enables integration to LIS sheep with farm and market software providers used across industry.

Our people

John Cross

Chairman

John Cross (OBE) is a fifth-generation farmer based in West Norfolk. He is Chairman of the Bovine TB Partnership and Chair of our industry focus group – The Traceability Design User Group (TDUG).

Ian Hewett

Managing Director

With a career forged in Defra and the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, Ian has undertaken a range of Policy and Delivery roles. Ian has also held several Director roles at the Rural Payments Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, including interim Chief Executive.

Jez Sharpe

Defra SRO for the LITP

Jeremy (Jez) Sharpe (MBE) is the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP), a Defra-led digital transformation programme. Jez has joined Defra from the Ministry of Defence and brings a wealth of SRO and Service Owner experience delivering complex, system-wide digital programmes.

Sharon Fearby

Programme Director

Serving 27 years for the Ministry of Justice, Sharon is committed to optimising delivery of services, experienced in high-profile projects, change initiatives and driving strategic direction successfully across Central Government.

Mohammed Rahman

Chief Financial Officer

Mohammed has substantial experience across multiple sectors and industries within the UK, having held both CFO and FD roles, alongside providing consultancy and advisory services in other countries.

Victoria Livingstone

Head of People Services

Victoria has over 10 years of HR management experience across diverse sectors in the UK and internationally, with expertise in high-impact projects and people strategy. She holds a CIPD Level 7 accreditation and a master’s degree in human resource management.

Ian Brazier

Interim Service Director

Ian has spent over 30 years working in the IT industry across both the public and private sectors, gaining extensive experience in IT service management and operational leadership, focusing on delivering high-quality, resilient services. His previous role with LI was Head of Service Management, responsible for strengthening service delivery capability and improving operational performance across the organisation.

How we support Defra’s traceability initiatives

LI Ltd’s core purpose is to maintain and enhance livestock traceability and data services in England, together with a UK view of data and intelligence from devolved administrations. We aim to support the Defra’s Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP) in modernising the livestock industry through providing these services, helping keepers to navigate challenges while strengthening the UK’s reputation as a leader in high-quality, sustainable agriculture data.