Dear Members,
The Red Tractor Poultry Sector Board met in November for a constructive session covering board appointments, the Farm Assurance Review, sector strategy, technical updates and communications activity. The meeting benefited from wide-ranging contributions from producers, processors, retailers and other sector stakeholders.
Changes in personnel
We began with a number of introductions and board changes. Vivienne Harris (M&S) has joined the Board as our BRC retailer representative, replacing Tom Meeson. James Mottershead is stepping down as NFU representative and will be replaced by Will Raw, the NFU Poultry Sector Chair. Elena O’Callaghan, Agricultural Manager at Tesco, also joined the Board to replace Jesse Sabine.
Finally, I was pleased to formally introduce Nick Major as the incoming Red Tractor Poultry Sector Chair. Nick is part way through a thorough handover and looks forward to working with the Board to drive positive change at a pivotal time for the sector.
Communicating change and value to members and consumers
Attendees were updated on Red Tractor’s progress against the Farm Assurance Review (FAR). We reviewed the timeline and key next steps and noted the Red Tractor response to the FAR which sets out planned activity. Red Tractor directors emphasised that its shared focus remains on delivering pragmatic, evidence-led improvements.
Red Tractor colleagues presented communications and marketing updates, including an update on the recent 25th anniversary consumer campaign. The campaign’s central goal is to increase public recognition of the Red Tractor logo and encourage shoppers to choose Red Tractor-labelled product. The Poultry Board heard about recent communications efforts, including website improvements, research, face-to-face engagement, and the challenges that the team is managing in responding to animal welfare and environmental campaign groups.
The Red Tractor Poultry Sector Strategy
Red Tractor Poultry Senior Technical Manager, Sophie Elwes led discussion on the final draft Poultry Sector Strategy, explaining how the Campbell Tickell review, the FAR have shaped the thinking behind the key priorities to help it deliver more for famers, both in terms of rationalising standards and also in terms of how it operates.
The Poultry Board agreed that Red Tractor remains the assurance backbone for a highly professionalised poultry sector with strong market reach and consumer trust.
At the same time, the scheme is sometimes perceived as overly compliance-focused and administrative, rather than acting as a strategic partner to industry. The sector faces ongoing pressures – avian influenza, NGO activism, increasing welfare and sustainability expectations, and scrutiny on environmental impact. The strategy therefore aims to address these challenges by moving toward refreshed standards that both capitalise on both the integration and data driven nature of the industry. The aim is to provide a more value-adding approach with optional modules to address customer needs and collecting data to demonstrate the credentials of the scheme and industry. I look forward to this strategy’s publication, next month.
Changes to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
Red Tractor Poultry TAC Chair, Judith Irons summarised recent TAC changes: all poultry species have been brought together within a single TAC structure with the option for smaller breakout groups. A small number of technical vacancies remain and will be filled shortly. The Board discussed potential candidates and confirmed that TAC appointments will follow the processes set out in the terms of reference. The Board also discussed ways of working and internal communications so members better understand Red Tractor’s operational activity.
The Poultry Board also reviewed the updated audit protocol following two years of operation. The updated audit protocol, introduced in May 2023, was designed to balance biosecurity alongside the need for physical audits during periods of avian flu and on farm visitor restrictions. It is delivering as expected and meeting the requirement for poultry members to receive two audits every 24 months, with Certification Bodies given scope to push and pull audits in line with calculated farm compliance risk and time elapsed since last visit.
Demonstrating competence in poultry production
The Boad discussed some members’ concerns about the level 2 work based diploma in poultry production and recognition of prior experience: historically Defra provided grandfather rights within legislation, but the British Poultry Training Management Group who established the criteria for the Poultry Passport made a decision to set the requirement that everyone should complete the required training. It was agreed that the issue should be raised with the British Poultry Training Management Group. Certification Bodies will be informed of this pending discussion and asked to extend closeout for nonconformances where this may be an issue until it is resolved.
Finally, I’d like to conclude my final update as Red Tractor Poultry Chair to say it has been a pleasure working with members of the Poultry Board, the main Red Tractor Board and permanent staff to deliver world-class assurance to such an innovative and dynamic industry. I wish my successor, Nick Major all the best in his role.
If you have any questions about the meeting or the next steps, please contact the Red Tractor team or your sector board representative.
Kind regards,
Iain Gardner
Chair, Red Tractor Poultry Sector Board
Poultry Board Members
- Clay Burrows – QBT
- Will Raw – NFU
- Gavin Foster – BPC
- Patrick Hook – NFU
- TBD – BPC
- Keith Warner – Integrator Representative
- Viv Harris – British Retail Consortium
- Elena O’Callaghan – Retailer
- David Gibson – BPC
- Jonty Hay – NFU
- Judith Irons – TAC Chair