The Red Tractor Board met on Friday 22 May. This was an important meeting, marking the arrival of our new Chief Executive, Paul McLaughlin, and the final meeting for our outgoing CEO, Jim Moseley.
The Board discussed farmer perceptions of Red Tractor, progress on the standards review, work to support farmer wellbeing, and ongoing improvements to governance.
Farm Assurance Review
The Board discussed Red Tractor’s continued efforts to deliver the recommendations of the Farm Assurance Review. This programme represents a significant, collective effort by the Red Tractor team, together with members of the Sector Boards and Technical Advisory Committees.
We expect the Review’s final report, published on 26 May, to recognise both the progress made to date and our clear commitment to ongoing improvement.
NFU and AHDB representatives also noted that their joint paper on the Purpose, Scope and Value of Farm Assurance, published on 26 May, provides a helpful and independent perspective on the role of assurance in UK agriculture. Red Tractor has been consulted on this work and welcomes its contribution to the wider debate. The paper concludes that:
“Farm assurance is a shared asset for British agriculture. It underpins confidence, protects markets and supports the reputation of the sector.”
Farmer Sentiment Survey
The Board was joined by Grounded Research, who presented findings and strategic recommendations from Red Tractor’s Farmer Sentiment Survey, based on feedback from almost 2,000 members.
The strong response rate demonstrates high levels of engagement and reinforces the desire among farmers and growers to see Red Tractor deliver clear value. Overall sentiment has improved, with particularly positive feedback on operational delivery, frequency of communications and consistency of assessments.
The research also highlights where further progress is needed, including strengthening how Red Tractor champions farmers, demonstrating understanding of on-farm pressures, increasing transparency in decision-making, and continuing to reduce audit burden.
These insights provide valuable evidence to inform our priorities, many of which align closely with work already underway. Further details from the research will be shared shortly.
Standards Review
The Board received an update from Sector Chairs on progress reviewing farm standards across all sectors. Over the past three months, more than 50 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings have taken place, reviewing standards line by line. This is a huge amount of work for which we are extremely grateful to TAC members, many of whom give their time voluntarily.
Emerging proposals aim to consolidate audit requirements, reducing the number of audit points while maintaining robust, future-fit standards. This work is central to ensuring that standards remain credible and effective, while becoming clearer and more proportionate for farmers to deliver in practice.
Farmer wellbeing
Vice Chair John Pain provided an update on a cross-industry workshop convened by Red Tractor to explore the impact of farm assurance on farmers’ mental health, with the aim of identifying practical ways to reduce unnecessary stress.
The workshop, taking place in early June, will bring together representatives from farming charities, research organisations, farmers and assurance schemes. Insights from this session will help inform future improvements to how assurance is delivered.
Governance
The Board reviewed feedback from its annual appraisal process, introduced last year as part of our commitment to effective governance. Feedback has been positive overall.
We also discussed opportunities to further strengthen Board effectiveness, including bringing more external perspectives into discussions and improving connectivity across the supply chain.
Leadership transition
Finally, on behalf of the entire Board, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Jim Moseley as he prepares to retire.
During his time as Chief Executive, Jim has built a high-performing team with a strong culture, strengthened the organisation’s financial position, and successfully led Red Tractor through a number of significant challenges.
Jim has made a lasting contribution to the organisation and to the wider industry. He will be greatly missed, and we wish him all the very best for the future.
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, and accompanied by Helen Herniman)
- Dean Holroyd – Industry Director, BMPA
- Natalie Smith – Industry Director, BRC
- 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 – Pigs Sector Chair
- Nick Major – Poultry Sector Chair
- Paul McLaughlin – incoming Chief Executive
- Jim Moseley – outgoing Chief Executive