The Red Tractor Board met on Friday 13 March. It was a productive meeting focused on our strategic direction, culminating in an important decision about the organisation’s future leadership.
Standards review process
The Board received an update from the Standards Committee on the significant progress being made by the six Sector Boards and their Technical Advisory Committees (TACs). They are reviewing standards and assessment processes in line with the objectives and priorities published in December.
We acknowledged the substantial effort involved in reviewing every farm-facing standard line by line, ensuring each requirement is justified, removing duplication, and improving clarity. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication and attention to detail.
After this, the next steps in this programme include stakeholder consultation in the autumn, followed by sign-off, UKAS approval, and implementation across all relevant systems. Reviews of this scale often take three to four years in other organisations, so completing this work within two years is ambitious. We remain committed to meeting this timeline while giving ourselves the space needed to get it right.
We also considered feedback from Sector Boards on water and air quality. Given the complex and fast-evolving nature of this topic, we agreed with their recommendation to maintain a watching brief, with no immediate actions.
Listening to farmers
Red Tractor continues to work with Grounded Research to enhance how we gather and use feedback from farmers and growers. The Board reviewed early insights from new questions added to the post-assessment survey, as well as data from the 2025 tracking survey.
Feedback on assessors remains particularly strong: 84% of respondents this year rated their professionalism and conduct as excellent. The reported length of assessments has also seen a slight improvement, with 83% of members saying the duration was “just right” in 2025. While the overall picture is very positive, we recognise there are still areas for improvement, which the assurance team is monitoring closely as part of our continuous improvement programme.
To deepen our understanding of perceptions of Red Tractor – not just experiences – we are working with Grounded Research on a dedicated farmer sentiment survey. This will explore the drivers of trust and help shape our communications. We will also be running focus groups to help us dig further into the findings.
Throughout 2026, Red Tractor will once again be attending major food and farming events across the country, as well as hosting our own sessions to meet members and wider stakeholders face to face.
Business planning
The Board has completed and approved Red Tractor’s Business Plan for 2026-27. The plan takes into account the internal and external environment in which we operate, including increased import competition, activist campaigns, sifting government policy and food inflation.
The overarching aims – aligned with our existing vision, purpose and values – are to:
- Continue to deliver the sentiment and recommendations of the Farm Assurance Review, with a focus on the ongoing standards review and smarter audits.
- Uphold the reputation of both Red Tractor and the wider industry through improved compliance.
- Strengthen partnerships and build pride across all stakeholder groups.
- Position Red Tractor as a competitive advantage at home and abroad by growing UK consumers’ purchase consideration and preference, while also supporting export growth.
These priorities are supported by a detailed set of measurable objectives.
Changes in leadership
As announced after the meeting, the Board reviewed the Nominations Committee’s recommendation to appoint Paul McLaughlin as Red Tractor’s next Chief Executive. Following discussion of the recruitment process and Paul’s extensive experience, the Board unanimously approved the appointment. We look forward to welcoming Paul when he joins on 5 May.
Following the recent NFU elections, Paul Tompkins, NFU Deputy President, has also joined the Board as the farming unions’ representative, replacing outgoing director David Exwood.
Positive feedback
We have been greatly encouraged by the positive feedback on Red Tractor’s work over the past year, including at NFU Conference and Agritech. We hope this progress will be reflected in the final report from the Farm Assurance Review commissioners, expected later this spring.
Maintaining this momentum requires sustained effort from many people. As always, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Red Tractor team, and to everyone serving on our Boards and TACs, for their exceptional commitment to supporting British food and farming.
Kind regards,
Alistair Macintosh, Red Tractor Chair
Red Tractor Board members:
- Alistair Macintosh – Chair
- John Pain – Vice Chair
- Paul Tompkins – Industry Director, Farmers Union
- Will Jackson – Industry Director, AHDB (covered for by Ken Boyns)
- Dean Holroyd – Industry Director, BMPA
- Natalie Smith – Industry Director, BRC (sent apologies for this meeting)
- Chris Goodwin – Independent Director, Finance
- James Russell – Independent Director, Vet
- John Dracup – Beef & Lamb Sector Chair
- Julian Sturdy – Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Sector Chair
- Tim Lock – Dairy Sector Chair
- Veryan Bliss – Fresh Produce Sector Chair
- Stewart Houston CBE, FRAgs – Pig Sector Chair
- Nick Major – Poultry Sector Chair
- Jim Moseley – Chief Executive