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Author: laurenwade

15 Dec 2025

Red Tractor portal enhancements: smarter, more digital farm assurance

At Red Tractor, we’re committed to supporting British farmers and safeguarding the integrity of UK agriculture. Our upgraded portal is making farm assurance more efficient, secure, and digital, reducing paperwork and simplifying the process for both farmers and assessors.

The key benefits

  • Streamlined Data Submission: Upload once, available for all future assessments. 
  • Centralised, Secure Storage: All assurance records in one safe place, ready for assessments.  
  • Enhanced Experience for Assessors: Review documents ahead of visits, allowing more on-farm engagement. 
  • Cloud-Based Reliability: Secure, dependable access anytime, anywhere. 

These enhancements directly reflect recommendations from the UK Farm Assurance Review, which called for a “transformational step forward in embracing technology and managing data.” By digitising and centralising the process, we’re helping the industry meet regulatory requirements and future-proofing British farming for the years ahead.

As Sarah Charman, Technology Project Manager at Red Tractor said: “Our portal enhancements are designed to make farm assurance simpler and more secure, while maintaining the high standards our members expect. By embracing digital innovation, we’re supporting farmers and assessors to streamline the assurance process.”

Looking ahead: what’s next?

Our commitment to continuous improvement means we’re already exploring the next phase of development with our partner, Map of Ag. Together, we will look at integrating third-party data sources, reducing manual input and strengthening data-sharing capabilities to keep pace with evolving regulations.

As Richard Myers, Lead Solution Architect at Map of Ag, highlights: “We’re passionate about leveraging technology to empower the farming community. Our partnership with Red Tractor is all about delivering practical solutions that help reduce the administrative burden for farmers and the wider industry.”

Get Started with Using the Red Tractor Member Portal

08 Dec 2025

Red Tractor shares priorities for delivering improvements for farming sectors

Sector Boards initiate review of farm standards in 2026

Red Tractor has published priorities for delivering improvements in each farming sector. The priorities, developed by Red Tractor’s Sector Boards, will guide improvements to the scheme and mark an important step in the organisation’s ongoing commitments to greater transparency and delivering positive, tangible change for UK farmers and growers.

Chair of Red Tractor, Alistair Mackintosh, says: “By setting out these priorities, we’re giving stakeholders, including farmers and growers, a clear view of the direction of each travel in each farming sector and providing an early opportunity for feedback.”

A collaborative approach

The priorities have been developed and agreed collaboratively by representatives sitting on Red Tractor’s Sector Boards and include a review of farming standards in 2026. They sit alongside wider improvements already in progress including the Red Tractor portal, communications and assessor training.

All stakeholders are invited to share feedback by 1 February 2026 via the Red Tractor website.

Alistair Mackintosh, explains: “The collective focus of the review is to support reduction of unnecessary audit burden, delivering efficiency while maintaining rigour and ensuring that every audit point helps farmers to demonstrate due diligence or meet their customers’ expectations.”

Developed by Sector Boards

The priorities have been developed through Red Tractor’s established governance structure. The Red Tractor Board sets the organisation’s strategic direction, while each farming sector is represented by its own Sector Board made up of farmers, growers, vets, processors, retailers and supply-chain experts. 

Each Sector Board will continue to oversee the review process, using their collective knowledge to consider the specific needs and pressures facing their sector.

Mr Mackintosh explains that the next phase of work moves to the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs), which bring together experts from across each sector to develop detailed recommendations designed to deliver the priorities and objectives.   

“The TACs role is to explore options, test practicality and develop proposals that reflect both the objectives set by the Sector Boards and the realities of on-farm delivery,” he says.  

Greater transparency and clearer opportunities for feedback

“Farmers and growers have asked for greater transparency and clearer opportunities to have their say, and this is what we aim to achieve. 

“Feedback at this early stage will help shape the work that follows,” says Mr Mackintosh. 

Further opportunities to comment on draft standards will take place during 2026, before final, UKAS-accredited standards are published and implemented in 2027.

To learn about the priorities for each sector and to share feedback, visit redtractor.org.uk/improvements

Learn more and share feedback

01 Dec 2025

Red Tractor launches outdoor pigs standards with on-pack logos

Red Tractor is introducing two new modules to the Red Tractor Pigs Scheme – Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred and Free Range – accompanied by distinctive on-pack logos to help Red Tractor-assured pig producers and Red Tractor-licensed food businesses clearly communicate higher animal welfare inputs to shoppers.

Stewart Houston, Chair of the Red Tractor Pigs Sector, said: “These new standards will demonstrate welfare inputs that are a step above our already high core range. The new logos will provide consumers with greater choice on the shelf, while the standards sitting behind them provide outdoor producers a way of reducing their on-farm audits while maintaining access to existing markets.”

Building on the success of additional welfare modules

Developed by industry and subject to extensive consultation over the last 18 months, the new modules build on the success of Red Tractor’s additional welfare modules in the poultry sector. The modules have been benchmarked against existing market standards to ensure they reflect meaningful, recognised welfare standards while fitting within the practical realities of commercial pig production.

To benefit the whole supply chain

The changes are designed to benefit the whole supply chain. For producers, the modules specify standards for outdoor systems within the Red Tractor Pigs Scheme – giving outdoor pig producers a straightforward, trusted way to show the welfare enhancements they deliver. For food businesses who are Red Tractor licensees, the modular approach offers a cost-effective option to demonstrate higher welfare on pack, menus, websites, paperwork and marketing materials. This is particularly timely as many businesses begin to plan packaging updates in the coming months. For retailers, the new logos will help shoppers make quicker, more confident choices at point of purchase by providing a consistent, recognisable and trusted welfare message across pork and poultry.

Reducing audit duplication has been a central aim of this work. The new modules and on-pack logos are intended to streamline assurance activity for producers who currently participate in multiple schemes – a recommendation central to the Farm Assurance Review – and to improve efficiency throughout the supply chain.

A trusted route for better welfare

Stewart Houston, Chair of the Red Tractor Pigs Sector, said: “Producers have been clear that they want fair recognition for the additional time, investment and care that goes into higher-welfare systems. These now modules and logos do exactly that – they give farmers a practical, trusted route to demonstrate better welfare while helping retailers and consumers to recognise those commitments easily. We developed the standards with wide industry input and by benchmarking against established schemes, so producers, licensees, customers and consumers can have confidence in what these logos represent.”

Technical information

Read our Pigs Standards

Decision tree

FAQs

Click to read the answers.

For members

Contact your Certification Body to arrange this to be added to your existing Red Tractor membership.

Depending on where you are within your membership and assessment cycle will determine the correct next steps. Please contact your certification body to ensure they capture your wish to have enterprises added to your Red Tractor membership.

Red Tractor have transition arrangements in place that may mean your stock can enter the chain as Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred depending on the status of your RSPCA Assured certification. Please check the Red Tractor Transition Approval Decision tree to determine the correct step for yourself. Any questions can be directed to either your Certification Body or Red Tractor.

Please contact the team at Red Tractor to discuss this. We will look at the options you wish to ensure all parties are able to work within the requirements.

For licensees and food businesses

Only approved and licnesed companies can use our trademark wording or logos on product, paperwork, marketing materials, menus or websites and only then in accordance with the Licence Agreement. Please contact our Supply Chain Assurance team for more information: licensing@redtractor.org.uk

A licence fee is charged to food businesses when a Red Tractor product claim is being used. The licence fee for Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred and Free Range pork products is 0.1% of declared invoiced sales value (uncapped). As the most recognised, comprehensive and affordable assurance scheme in the marketplace vs other marques, Red Tractor is the best placed scheme to make Enhanced Welfare more accessible for consumers.  

If you are an approved and licensed company with Red Tractor, please get in touch with licensing@redtractor.org.uk to request our brand guidelines. Please include your licence number in all correspondence.

Yes, all logo use must be approved by our Supply Chain Assurance Team – please submit artwork prior to printing for approval and request logos from licensing@redtractor.org.uk. Please include your licence number in all correspondence.

If you are a current Red Tractor Processor Packer licensee, an additional technical approval will need to be completed for Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred or Free Range Pork. The technical information must be submitted and approved by Red Tractor before an Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred or Free Range claim can be made. You will be asked to enter details of your technical operations, suppliers (dependent on your type of business), products and customers as well as demonstrate that you meet our licensing eligibility criteria. 

If you are currently not a Red Tractor licensee and wish to onboard in order to make an Enhanced Welfare Outdoor Bred or Free Range pork claim, please contact the Supply Chain Assurance team at licensing@redtractor.org.uk who can discuss the process with you.  

24 Nov 2025

Red Tractor remembers leading pig farmer Rob Beckett

The British pig sector is paying tribute to Rob Beckett, a highly respected figure and visionary leader, who has been posthumously awarded with the prestigious David Black Award for his outstanding and lasting impact in the industry.

Rob’s career began on his family farm is South Shropshire, which led to his role leading Yorkwold Pigpro Ltd. His clear vision, “to strive not to be the biggest, but to be the best and to put quality first,” guided the business through significant expansion and rationalisation, ultimately nearly doubling the sow herd over 25 years. This commitment to quality was the foundation of Yorkwold’s celebrated, long-term partnership with Morrisons, evidenced by the sale of the two-millionth pig to the retailer last year.

A passionate advocate for the pig sector

Beyond his success at Yorkwold, Rob was a tireless advocate for industry-wide improvement. His service of six years to the Red Tractor Pigs Sector Board was instrumental, where he consistently provided the insight and expertise necessary to drive positive change and ensure high standards of animal welfare and sustainability were met across the sector.

A colleague spoke highly of Rob, saying: “In each role, he provided insight and expertise to drive change and improvement – always challenging but constructive, always professional, always a gentleman.”

Dedication to high standards

Rob’s dedication to high standards was mirrored by his commitment to his staff. He was a firm believer that high standards of animal care could only be achieved through implementing high standards of people care. He invested heavily in training and mentoring for those who worked for him.

Rob’s wider contributions to the farming industry included serving on the Pig Health and Welfare Council’s Welfare Committee and his leadership as Chairman of Thames Valley Cambac, where he guided the merger that created the United Pig Co-operative, strengthening the independent producer base across the country.

A true supporter of Red Tractor

Stewart Houston, Chair of the Pigs Sector Board, remembers how “Rob embodied the ethos of the Red Tractor Pigs Board and was a true supporter of what Red Tractor was all about. He was respected for his strong views and informed argument and continued to contribute virtually when his treatment made his ability to travel too difficult. Towards the end, we shared each other’s experience of the terrible disease that took him from us, but which he dealt with in the same pragmatic way that we tussled with some of the industry’s more challenging problems. We miss him!”