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Author: christian@gavinwillis.co.uk

19 Dec 2024

Red Tractor urges MP’s to support UK farmers

Red Tractor is advocating for MPs to support farmers by addressing critical policy challenges affecting the agricultural sector.

With over 46,000 farmer members and 800 processors contributing more than £17 billion to the economy, Red Tractor highlights the significant pressures these stakeholders face. These include rising input costs, extreme weather events and regulatory complexities. This is in a submission the Environment, Farming, Rural and Agriculture (EFRA) Parliamentary Select Committee, which scrutinises Defra.

Three Areas for Action: 

1. Reducing the Audit Burden: 

Farmers are overwhelmed by the duplication of audits from multiple regulators. Red Tractor is proposing an expansion of earned recognition, which allows for a reduction in the frequency of inspections for certified farms who have already demonstrated good compliance through independent assessments.

This model has already proven effective with the Food Standards Authority, where inspections against relevant food and feed hygiene legislation for long-standing members have decreased significantly.

2. Rethinking Mandatory Animal Welfare Labelling: 

The introduction of mandatory labelling for animal welfare, particularly for pigs and poultry, is being considered by Defra.

Red Tractor is arguing that this could increase costs, confuse consumers and undermine their trust in farmers, the food industry and third party assurance schemes.

Red Tractor is therefore urging MPs to challenge this proposal and advocate for labelling policies that support farmers.

3. Addressing the Impact of Devolved Administrations: 

The divergence in policies between English devolved administrations has led to  increased inconsistency and risks farmers being treated differently between borders despite operating in the same UK-wide market.

Red Tractor calls for MPs to promote collaboration between Defra and these administrations to create a more unified approach, ensuring efficiency and sustainability in farming practices across the UK.

How MPs Can Help: 

Red Tractor is asking MPs sitting on the EFRA Committee to focus on initiatives that alleviate burdens on farmers and streamline regulations. We have also invited MPs to join a Red Tractor assessment, providing them with firsthand experience of the skill and expertise of our members, as well as the challenges and standards within modern farming.

Recent Stories…

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Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

17 Dec 2024

Red Tractor Board Update – November 2024

 

Since taking on the role of interim Chair, my main focus has been on strengthening relationships with the farming community, agricultural bodies, and the food supply chain. 

At the recent Board meeting, I updated Directors on key discussions I’ve had with the Chair and CEO of AHDB about how Red Tractor and AHDB can work more closely to support the agricultural sector. I also met with Lord Curry to explore how he can assist in our efforts to engage with Government, particularly in lobbying for earned recognition of Red Tractor’s standards and assessments by regulators. Additionally, the Red Tractor team and I have been working with the Devolved Farming Unions to increase their representation on our vital Sector Boards, ensuring better alignment on shared priorities.

Lightening the load

I was pleased to report that Red Tractor’s work to ‘lighten the load on producers’ by improving audit efficiency remains our main priority. Good progress is being made across several key workstreams, including gathering feedback on how technology and data can help streamline compliance verification, reducing the burden on farmers and assessors. Another important development is the work to improve the usability of Red Tractor’s Portal, making it easier for members to access and manage their assurance information and for assessors to review prior to the farm visit. The Board welcomed this progress and extended its thanks to all Sector Boards for their invaluable input and guidance in helping us deliver this important project.

You can read reports from the latest Sector Board meetings here.

To complete the implementation of the Campbell Tickell review recommendations into Red Tractor’s governance, we are updating Board Directors’ contracts to better reflect their roles and responsibilities. I hope you’ve also had the chance to review the publication of our Governance Handbook, which is now available on the Red Tractor website.

Your logo – seen by by consumers as more important than the Union Jack

Another highlight from the Board meeting was the review of new consumer research, which delivered some highly encouraging results. Over the past five years, the value of the Red Tractor logo on retail packaging has grown significantly. Five years ago, the logo was the fifth most important factor for shoppers when choosing their groceries; today, it ranks third—just behind the product name and appearance. Red Tractor is now the UK’s most recognised and trusted food marque, and the research shows that it adds value for every stakeholder in the food chain, from farm to fork. In fact, it is now seen as even more valuable to consumers than the Union Jack!

While it is fantastic to see such strong recognition in the UK, there is also exciting potential for Red Tractor to add value to British exports. Consumer research in key export markets identified by AHDB suggests that Red Tractor could play a role in strengthening the appeal of British food abroad. With this in mind, and in collaboration with AHDB, BPC, and other partners, the Board has approved initial exploratory steps to assess Red Tractor’s potential role in supporting exports.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the festive season when it arrives.

Best wishes,

Alistair Mackintosh, Red Tractor Interim Chair 

 

Red Tractor Board members:

  • David Exwood – Industry Director
  • Will Jackson – AHDB
  • Dean Holroyd – Industry Director
  • Sophie Throup – Industry Director
  • John Pain – Independent Director
  • Chris Goodwin – Independent Director
  • James Russell – Independent Director
  • John Reed – Industry Director
  • John Dracup – Beef & Lamb Sector Director
  • Tim Lock – Dairy Sector Director
  • Lucy MacLennan – Fresh Produce Sector Director
  • Stewart Houston CBE, FRAgS – Pig  Sector Director
  • Iain Gardner – Poultry Sector Director
  • Kit Papworth – Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Sector Director
  • Jim Moseley – Chief Executive

Find out more about how decisions are made at Red Tractor. 

Recent Stories…

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Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

21 Nov 2024

Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – November 2024

The Beef and Lamb Sector Board took place on Thursday 14th November

The Red Tractor executive confirmed that, following unanimous endorsement from the Sector Board members, my appointment as Sector chair had been extended for a second three year term in accordance with the company governance processes. I thanked board members and confirmed I am delighted to continue with this role on behalf of the beef and lamb sector and look forward to working in collaboration with all representatives across the supply chain.

I reported that Sam Charlton the newly appointed Sector Director for AHDB Beef and Lamb had been appointed to the Red Tractor Sector Board and that the next meeting would be her first.

The meeting was particularly constructive and discussed the ambition of how the future of assurance in the Beef and Lamb sector should work.  This included a comprehensive piece on Red Tractors member communication strategy, which the Sector Board found extremely encouraging.  The largest part of the agenda discussed how assurance should work in the future and featured several projects looking at simplifying the farm assurance process, using technology and earned recognition from other statutory organisations, to help reduce audit burden.

The Sector Board also discussed at length how a standards refresh should progress to ensure that all stakeholders are fully engaged in the process.  As part of this we reviewed the draft Terms of Reference of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), agreeing it was important to ensure transparent governance processes and that all TAC members must have the necessary technical and practical beef and lamb farming knowledge.

To ensure the Sector Board has adequate representation and knowledge from the processing sector and in particular the export markets it was agreed that we should seek to identify an appropriate candidate to serve on the Board.  We also agreed that, since the ethnic sector is so important to the current and future sheep sector we should establish if there were any other individuals who may help inform our expertise in this area.

In summary, a very positive, progressive and motivational meeting which demonstrated a huge amount of work by the team and a very positive direction of travel.

Looking forward to keeping you informed of future developments.

Kind regards,

John Dracup,

Chair, Red Tractor Beef & Lamb Board

Members of the Beef and Lamb board:

David Morgan – NFU

Samantha Charlton – AHDB

Alice Liddle – BRC/Food Service

Zanna Dennis – Livestock Auctioneers Association

Bryan Griffiths – National Sheep Association

Phil Hambling – British Meat Processors Association

Henry Blain – Multiple Retailer

Natalie Smith – Multiple Retailer

         Andrew Crutchley – BCVA

Sarah Haire – Dawn Meats (BMPA Rep)

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

21 Nov 2024

Crops & Sugarbeet Sector Chair Update – November 2024

With the November Crops Sector Board coming less than a week after a Budget that potentially impacts farming legacies as well as a raft of other policy changes amongst the backdrop of one of the most difficult farming years that many growers have faced, it was hard to open with any other message. Everyone at Red Tractor agreed that it was important to be mindful of these external stresses affecting our members.

The Sector Board continued its discussions regarding the Future of Assurance project, emphasising the need for securing greater recognition between third-party assurance schemes and the importance of using technology that is accessible for farmers to help reduce audit burden.

There was a strong consensus on the need for Red Tractor to move to a system of outcome-based audits, reducing the paperwork burden. Colleagues suggested that we could achieve this through promoting best practices within standards, as a way to improve compliance. Colleagues also noted that most of our standards are legislative in nature, not solely crafted by Red Tractor and where they are above legislation, it is at the behest of the stakeholders around the table.

The meeting outlined short, medium, and long-term goals for the Future of Assurance project, focusing on enhancing the role of Technical Advisory Committees and ensuring a broad range of perspectives from across the supply chain. Data security and the careful consideration of data usage with very strict parameters were identified as essential to maintaining trust among farmers.

AHDB representatives updated the board on the progress of their cereals benchmarking review of assurance. The Red Tractor team look forward to working with AHDB colleagues in interpreting where the conclusions drawn from this project can help alongside the wider work in the future of assurance and, in particular, our work to date on a potential Entry Level standard.

There was a positive round table discussion about a couple of the current standards that are difficult for growers to be compliant with – more work to finding solutions was agreed. Sector Board members also received an update on the ongoing technical difficulties imposed by the European Commission which are hampering our ability to maintain compliance with the Renewable Energy Directive in the future.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the Red Tractor standards. We will keep you informed of any further developments.

Kind regards,  

Kit Papworth,

Chair, Combinable Crops and Sugarbeet Board. 

Members of the Crops board:

Angela Bowden – Oilseed Crushers  

Jamie Burrows – Cereals grower

James Cox – Cereals grower

Matthew Culley – Cereals grower

Julian South – MAGB

Patrick Mitton – Pesticide Issues Consultant

Brin Hughes – BOBMA

Tom Wood – AIC/Grain Merchants

Peter Chandley – Weetabix

David Eudall – AHDB

Nick Morris – Sugar manufacturer

Alistair Gale – UK Flour Millers

Gill Barrow – AIC/Grain Merchants

Ed Dale – Sugar beet grower

Nigel Davies – TAC Chair

Harriette Roberts – BRC

Recent Stories…

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Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
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Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

21 Nov 2024

Dairy Sector Chair Update – November 2024

I am writing to update you on the meeting of The Dairy Sector Board on 6th November, and, as always, I am very grateful to board members who made the effort to attend in person from all the four nations of the UK. 

In the opening remarks of my chairman’s report, I first paid tribute to a past board member, David Brookes, who died suddenly earlier this month, and we send our condolences to his family. I also acknowledged that recent events have only compounded the pressure on our farming members and highlighted that we will take every opportunity to reiterate this in our conversations with governments and stakeholders across the industry. Along with other Red Tractor colleagues, I have met with the Ulster Farmers Union, NFU Cymru, Farming Union of Wales, and some of the major processors and retailers across the UK and I have further planned to meet NFUS, more retailers and more processors. The purpose of these meetings is not only to try to understand first-hand the concerns that all stakeholders in the supply chain have, but also to get their thoughts on how Red Tractor should adapt in the short, medium and long term. 

After receiving a report on the current compliance levels within our sector and how we currently approach risk-based assessments on poor performing farms the Sector Board turned their attention to considering what assurance should look like in the future and how we deliver robust farm assurance whilst striving to minimise audit burden on farmers. We had a very constructive, broad ranging and positive discussion on how we might do that, aiming to reward good compliance, reviewing standards and the use of IT solutions to assist the audit process. This discussion was guided by the initial thoughts expressed by the Board at our meeting in July. We will continue to focus on this as we start to think about and develop our standards and processes going forward.  

In response to the governance review carried out by Cambell Tickell at the end of last year the AFS Board, of which I am a member, is committed to building on our already strong governance by reviewing the Terms of Reference of the different levels of the organisation. At the meeting the Dairy Board started with those for the Technical Advisory Committees that do such vital work in scrutinising the technical aspect of our standards. We have also published a governance handbook for the organisation on our website. 

Best regards, Tim Lock,

Chair, Red Tractor Dairy Board

Members of the Dairy board:

Peter Dawson – Dairy UK

Michael Masters – First Purchaser Representative

Ian Harvey – NFU

Alice Miller – British Cattle Veterinary Association

Murray Patrick  – NFU Scotland

Paul Dover – Dairy UK

Lucy Squire – Dairy UK

Steve Harris – Dairy UK

Natalie Smith – Multiple Retailer

Joseph Keating – BRC

Mervyn Gordon – UFU

Lee Truelove – Dairy UK

Neville Graham – Dairy UK NI

Nic Parsons – AHDB

Jonathan Wilkinson – NFU WCymru

 

Recent Stories…

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Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

21 Nov 2024

Fresh Produce Sector Chair Update – November 2024

I’m delighted to share updates following our recent meeting, which focused on enhancing our sector’s operations and improving audit efficiency for Fresh Produce members. 

First, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Jan Redpath, the Technical Director of Angus Soft Fruit, who will be joining our Sector Board as the representative for NFU Scotland. Jan brings a wealth of expertise that will undoubtedly be invaluable to our ongoing discussions and strategic efforts. In other board-related news, David Kennedy has announced his decision to step down as the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).  

We thank David for his service and have begun the process of recruiting a successor. David contributed great expertise in matters of food safety and microbiology and it will be a priority to ensure knowledge of these topics remain well-represented within the TAC.  

Our meeting’s primary focus was the future of assurance and tackling the current challenges related to the audit burden on farms. One key suggestion was the enhanced use of our portal, where growers can upload relevant information ahead of farm visits.  This would allow auditors to review documentation in advance and focus their time on farm observing the more practical aspects of the assessment.

Additionally, Board members discussed various options to streamline documentation and the assessment process within Producer Organizations (POs) and other coordinated grower groups where a central Quality Management System (QMS) or common technical controls are in place and specific opportunities were identified. 

These ideas will be rigorously evaluated for their feasibility and potential implementation, and we look forward to further discussions at our next Sector Board meeting. 

Kind regards,

Lucy MacLennan,

Chair, Red Tractor Fresh Produce board

Fresh Produce board:

Sarah Blanford – Retailer

Veryan Bliss – Technical Consultant

Tim Casey – Grower and NFU

Jan Redpath – Grower and NFUS

Damon Johnson – Retailer, BRC

David Kennedy – Technical Consultant

Kelly Shields – Fresh Produce Consortium

Stephen Shields – Grower

James Lee – Grower

Phil Pearson – Grower

 

 

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

21 Nov 2024

Pigs Sector Chair Update – November 2024

In line with our commitment to improving communication and engagement, and on behalf of Stewart Houston, Chair of the Pigs Board, I’m pleased to share an update from our recent Sector Board meeting held on 7th November. 

The Board discussed several key topics, beginning with Red Tractor’s governance. As part of a commitment to clear and effective operations, the Sector Board took a close look at the draft revisions to the Terms of Reference of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). This review was an important step to enhance transparency in governance processes and to ensure all TAC members, who are responsible for the on-going maintenance and development of Red Tractor standards, fully understand their roles and responsibilities. 

Attention then turned to the Future of Assurance project, a significant initiative aimed at streamlining assessments to reduce the burden of audits for farms. Board members were enthusiastic about the project and explored one aspect in more depth. How could Red Tractor further use data to conduct more targeted assessments, which could lighten the load on farmers whilst maintaining if not improving robust compliance. There was a lively discussion around a developing idea: using information collected from quarterly veterinary visits to potentially reduce the need for checking certain standards during annual assessments, a change that would bring significant efficiency.   

The Sector Board reviewed findings from a benchmarking exercise that compared Red Tractor pig standards with similar international schemes. Red Tractor standards compare favorably, but the exercise did reveal areas where standards in some other countries were moving ahead. The Sector Board considered what these advancements might mean for Red Tractor and the UK pig sector, recognising that, if agreed in future, producers would need ample notice of any significant updates to standards to be able to plan and make necessary investments. 

The meeting ended with a presentation on recent consumer research exploring the potential for tiered welfare labelling for Red Tractor pork products. Though still in its early stages, the research aimed to capture consumer perspectives on various welfare labels and their potential impact on purchasing decisions. The Sector Board agreed to review a more detailed proposal on the standards for each label tier at their next meeting. By continuing this discussion, the Sector Board aims not only to align with consumer expectations but also to consider a system that rewards producers, helping them capture premium market segments, strengthen consumer loyalty, and enhance value. 

The meeting concluded with a sense of progress and a clear direction for the future, as board members and the Red Tractor team continue to adapt and advance to meet industry standards and member expectations to minimize audit burden. 

Best Wishes 

Grace O’Gorman  

TAC Chair 

Pig Board members:

Stewart Houston – Chair

William de Klein – Processor

Heidi Deckker – Processor

Ash Gilman – Processor

Pig Producer Reps (indoor and outdoor) – x4 (including 1 x NPA rep and 1 UFU rep)

Natalie Smith – Retailer

        Chris Brown – Retailer and BRC

Charlotte Evans – AHDB Pork

Michael Putt – Pig Veterinary Society

Grace O’Gorman – TAC Chair

Recent Stories…

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Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

21 Nov 2024

Poultry Sector Chair Update – November 2024

I’m pleased to update you on the latest discussions of the Red Tractor Poultry Sector Board.  

The Sector Board debated the retailer-led industry change to stocking birds at 30kg/m2 and agreed to continue monitoring developments before considering if Red Tractor could support with a potential solution to auditing, certification and marketing. The industry is in a period of transition and the nature of these changes was debated within the Sector Board; farmer, processor and retailer representatives contributed to this discussion. The poultry industry has asked Red Tractor not to audit any additional retail initiatives at this point in time. However, it was agreed to include the issue as a standing agenda item for the foreseeable Sector Board meetings as at some stage in the future there may be a role to help ensure audit efficiency at a farm level, and verification of claims at a retail level. 

The Sector Board also discussed the pilot on managing poultry litter applications to land within the poultry sector. It was agreed that a meaningful approach must involve the wider agriculture industry. The Sector Board has recommended a discussion across the wider organisation and associated stakeholders.    

Following the publication of the Red Tractor Governance Handbook and with an eye on the future of assurance and standards development, the Technical Advisory Committee terms of reference were discussed. The Sector Board agreed this new proposal was a good direction of travel. The short, medium, and long term changes in ways of improving assurance were discussed and it was agreed to keep the Sector Board abreast of developments. These range from improvements to the portal for integrated businesses to a review of whether welfare outcome data could help improve streamline the audit process and robustness of the scheme. The Sector Board will continue to consider how they can contribute to this work.  

Finally, we bid a a fond farewell to Philip Wilkinson, who retires from our Sector Board after many years working with Red Tractor. He has represented both dairy and poultry at the main Board over the last 20 years and latterly supported the poultry Sector Board for a number of years as a BPC representative. On behalf of the whole Sector Board, I would like to thank Philip for his years of contribution to Red Tractor. 

As ever, thanks for your continued support of Red Tractor.  

Kind regards,

Iain Gardner,

Chair, Red Tractor Poultry Board

Poultry Board members:

Clay Burrows – QBT

James Mottershead – NFU

Gavin Foster – BPC

Philip Wilkinson OBE – BPC

David Neilson – Integrator

Tom Meeson – British Retail Consortium

Natalie Smith – Retailer

David Gibson – BPC

Jonty Hay – NFU

Judith Irons – TAC Chair

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

20 Nov 2024

Fresh Produce Sector Chair Update – November 2024

I’m delighted to share updates following our recent meeting, which focused on enhancing our sector’s operations and improving audit efficiency for Fresh Produce members. 

First, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Jan Redpath, the Technical Director of Angus Soft Fruit, who will be joining our Sector Board as the representative for NFU Scotland. Jan brings a wealth of expertise that will undoubtedly be invaluable to our ongoing discussions and strategic efforts. In other board-related news, David Kennedy has announced his decision to step down as the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).  

We thank David for his service and have begun the process of recruiting a successor. David contributed great expertise in matters of food safety and microbiology and it will be a priority to ensure knowledge of these topics remain well-represented within the TAC.  

Our meeting’s primary focus was the future of assurance and tackling the current challenges related to the audit burden on farms. One key suggestion was the enhanced use of our portal, where growers can upload relevant information ahead of farm visits.  This would allow auditors to review documentation in advance and focus their time on farm observing the more practical aspects of the assessment.

Additionally, Board members discussed various options to streamline documentation and the assessment process within Producer Organizations (POs) and other coordinated grower groups where a central Quality Management System (QMS) or common technical controls are in place and specific opportunities were identified. 

These ideas will be rigorously evaluated for their feasibility and potential implementation, and we look forward to further discussions at our next Sector Board meeting. 

Kind regards,

Lucy MacLennan,

Chair, Red Tractor Fresh Produce board

Fresh Produce board:

Sarah Blanford – Retailer

Veryan Bliss – Technical Consultant

Tim Casey – Grower and NFU

Jan Redpath – Grower and NFUS

Damon Johnson – Retailer, BRC

David Kennedy – Technical Consultant

Kelly Shields – Fresh Produce Consortium

Stephen Shields – Grower

James Lee – Grower

Phil Pearson – Grower

 

 

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025

24 Oct 2024

Setting the Record Straight: A Response to the SMF Report

Thursday 24th October 2024

The Social Market Foundation should leave their desks and visit a farm – they might be pleasantly surprised to see what they find.

In today’s fast-paced world, misinformation can spread rapidly, so it is crucial that inaccuracies are addressed directly. I want to take this opportunity to address some claims made about Red Tractor recently that we were not given the opportunity to rebut before being published online.

The recent report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) on animal welfare inspections unfortunately included several false claims and misrepresentations about animal welfare and assurance in this country, without consulting Red Tractor. Animal welfare is an issue that matters to all of us, as a nation of animal lovers, and false allegations can be dangerous when not confronted.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, from farmers and manufacturers to vets and retailers, adhere to the rigour of Red Tractor standards. Unfortunately, this same commitment to precision and rigour were not shared by the SMF and Animal Equality UK, who commissioned this report.

This report critiqued Red Tractor’s animal welfare assessment without any consultation with us or any part of the assurance scheme.

I will not further fan the flames by sharing the article but will take this chance to correct the six main accusations made in this report.

Claim 1: the report falsely suggests that Red Tractor is a façade for animal abuse.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Our members deeply care for the animals they raise, and we uphold high welfare standards.

Claim 2: the report falsely claimed that Red Tractor is owned by farmers.

We are owned by and answer to the entire food chain. We adhere to the international ISO 17065 standard, with our independent third-party audit bodies certified by UKAS to ensure rigorous, standardised assessments substantiated by objective evidence. We impose strict sanctions for non-compliance of these standards, often to the dismay of parts of the farming community. This is well documented in farming circles and on social media.

Claim 3: the report suggests that we should source more standards from outside the UK.

This overlooks our superior standards and fails to recognise the breadth of assurance in the UK. As a food standards-setting body, Red Tractor is recognised as an exemplar by the World Trade Organisation, Codex Alimentarius, and the OECD. Studies from AHDB consistently show our standards surpass international competitors.

Claim 4: private schemes like Red Tractor have biased assessments as our revenue relies on signing up farms.

This is just absurd. The majority of Red Tractor’s revenue comes from the consumer end of the market, where demand for high standards is paramount and recognition of the role Red Tractor plays in providing that is recognised and valued.

Claim 5: the report alleges a lack of transparency, claiming limited public data on inspections hinders accountability.

Transparency is a core value at Red Tractor, from our operations to providing clarity to consumers on how their food was produced. Our website provides data on farmer suspensions and revocations due to non-compliance, demonstrating accountability against the standards we set.

These allegations are an example of sloppy research and lazy opinions, as well as bad practice of not offering a right to reply. I would have been very pleased to have spoken to the report’s authors ahead of publication and provide them with all the information they’ve needed.

I would suggest that the researchers at the SMF leave their desks and join me at a Red Tractor assured farm to see how the scheme really works, and the hard work of the UK’s farming community who are operating in a challenging environment.

Jim Moseley

Red Tractor CEO

 

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Industry ask Red Tractor to progress outdoor-focused modules for Pigs
Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 
Pigs Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Beef & Lamb Sector Chair Update – June 2025
Fresh Produce Sector Board Update – June 2025
Crops Sector Board Update – June 2025