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29 Sep 2025

Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire

Red Tractor Chief Executive, Jim Moseley has announced that he will retire from full-time employment in April 2026.

“After 50 years in the food and drink industry, and 9 years as Chief Executive of Red Tractor, now is the right time for me to take a step-back to enable more personal time,” Jim Moseley said. “I will leave Red Tractor in a strong position to support the future of British food and farming, with a Board, a Leadership Team and tremendous employees who have the skills, knowledge, experience and dedication to carry Red Tractor forward.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the team at Red Tractor for their immense contribution and hard work. Assurance is not an easy occupation, but the team at Red Tractor deliver their roles with huge professionalism and extraordinary resilience. This team is one of the strongest I have had the pleasure of working with. Red Tractor’s recognition by the World Health Organisation as a ‘global exemplar of a voluntary assurance programme’ is testament to their abilities and the quality of the scheme.”

Alistair Mackintosh, Chair of Red Tractor said: “Jim has made an extraordinary contribution to Red Tractor and British food and farming. Consumer trust in British food is at record levels, as are the number of retailers, caterers and brands relying on Red Tractor assurance. The influence that Red Tractor has in securing markets and demand for British produce, should not be underestimated. Jim will leave an organisation which is highly motivated, financially sound and well governed. On behalf of Red Tractor’s Board of Directors, I’d like to thank Jim for his unrelenting support for British food production. I’m very grateful for Jim’s support as we continue to deliver real, tangible change for farmers, while recruiting a new Chief Executive.”

Watch an interview with Jim Moseley explaining his reasons for retirement

Jim Moseley explains his decision to retire from full time employment

Jim Moseley has worked in every aspect of food and drink, starting out in primary agriculture before moving into food manufacturing, responsible for some of the UK’s biggest food brands. He’s represented the industry at the highest level with governments and global bodies, as President of the Food and Drink Federation, Chair of the Provision Trade Federation, Member of Food Drink Europe and as an industry representative of various government groups including the Trade & Agriculture Commission. He became Chief Executive of Red Tractor in 2017, having previously served as its Chair for two years.

Jim will remain in post for the remainder of the 2025/26 financial year, enabling time for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive while Red Tractor continues to focus on its current priorities, including delivering the recommendations set out in the Farm Assurance Review. 

After retiring as Chief Executive of Red Tractor, Jim plans to focus on roles that will give him more time to focus on family and personal life. The process for recruiting a new Chief Executive will be shared in due course

19 Sep 2025

Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter

All meat products carrying a Red Tractor logo or claim must be stunned before slaughter

Our requirements are clear and uncompromising. All livestock intended for Red Tractor labelled meat products, including those that are religiously slaughtered, must be effectively stunned before slaughter. This applies to every animal, without exception.

Animal welfare is at the heart of Red Tractor’s standards. We take our guidance from independent expert bodies including DEFRA, which sets the legislation on slaughter practices, and the Humane Slaughter Association, which publishes guidance and technical notes.

While some Red Tractor products may also carry additional labels such as Halal, organic, or other cultural or production claims, those schemes are managed by other organisations. What matters for shoppers is this: the Red Tractor logo will only appear on product which has met our criteria. Our criteria will always include the requirement that livestock is stunned before slaughter. Meat with a Red Tractor claim can be described as Halal too, but the animal must have been stunned prior to slaughter.

Our Traceability Challenge programme rigorously tests supply chains to ensure integrity from farm to pack. It means shoppers can have complete confidence that anything carrying the Red Tractor logo is exactly what it claims to be.

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Red Tractor Board Update – September 2025
Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire
Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare
Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter
Red Tractor reminds members to maintain poultry training compliance
Communications specialist and researcher Dr Amy Jackson to Chair Dairy TAC 

26 Aug 2025

Red Tractor Launches New TV Advert: ‘With You For 25 Years’

New advertising campaign celebrates 25 years of safe, British food

Red Tractor is celebrating 25 years since its launch with a new TV advertisement that spotlights the role of Red Tractor assurance in putting safe, traceable and responsibly produced food at the heart of family mealtimes. 

Its new ‘With You For 25 Years’ campaign highlights the everyday moments that matter most – families coming together around the kitchen table to share delicious food prepared with care.

With You For 25 Years

Thanks to the daily commitment of farmers and food businesses who uphold Red Tractor’s rigorous standards, consumer trust in UK-produced food is now at a high of 94%, a significant turn-around since the food safety crises of the 1990s. YouGov research also shows that over two thirds of shoppers recognise and trust the Red Tractor logo, seeing it as an independent source of assurance they can trust.  

Red Tractor’s Trust in Food Index recently revealed that British shoppers overwhelmingly value the reassurance of knowing where their food comes from and how it’s produced. 90% of people now want more food to be produced in the UK, and food assurance schemes are the number one reason Brits trust that UK food is safe and high quality, with trust in food assurance rising from 68% (2024) to 79% (2025).

This achievement is only possible thanks to the collaboration of the entire food and farming industry. Red Tractor was founded in 2000 by farming unions, food industry organisations and retailers, with a governance structure that ensures the distilled wisdom of the entire food chain is utilised and that there is an equitable balance of interests throughout its Boards and Committees.

John Pain, Board Director and Vice Chair of Red Tractor commented:

“At the core of the 25th anniversary celebrations is a sincere thank you to all Red Tractor partners – the farmers, processors, food outlets, retailers and brands who stand behind the Red Tractor logo.”

The next 25 years of standards

Natalie Smith, Tesco Head of Agriculture said:

“We’re proud to support British agriculture and the thousands of farmers and producers who provide us with quality, affordable, sustainable products year-round. Certification schemes play a key role in providing reassurance for customers, and over the past 25 years, Red Tractor has established itself as a mark of quality, standing for food safety standards, animal welfare and environmental protection.  

“We recognise there is still more to do, and it’s essential we continue to work in partnership with Red Tractor to improve standards, and take quick action to drive forward change, strengthening the farming industry for generations to come.”

In the coming weeks, Red Tractor will also go behind the scenes of real family kitchens to hear stories about what makes food and mealtimes so meaningful, with content to be featured across its social media channels.

Red Tractor’s new advert will be broadcast across on-demand video services and radio from August, and will launch across linear TV from October.  

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Red Tractor Board Update – September 2025
Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire
Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare
Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter
Red Tractor reminds members to maintain poultry training compliance
Communications specialist and researcher Dr Amy Jackson to Chair Dairy TAC 

19 Aug 2025

Upholding Red Tractor Standards  

At the heart of British farming practice is a shared commitment to integrity, responsibility, and high standards.  

Every day, thousands of Red Tractor assured farmers go above and beyond, caring for their animals, producing safe food, and safeguarding the reputation of UK agriculture.  

While audits provide a snapshot in time, assurance is about continuous care. Farmers make a promise to uphold our standards every day, not just on the day of the assessment.   

To hold farmers to this promise, in some sectors we make unannounced and more frequent visits to those farms we class as higher risk and require vets to be on site on a regular basis. In more serious cases, such as where serious neglect or mistreatment of animals is found, we will suspend a farm’s certification immediately, pending investigation. Following an investigation, certification is only reinstated if we are completely satisfied our standards are met.     

We also provide an anonymous whistle-blowing service and actively encourage anyone with concerns to raise these as soon as possible so that we can investigate. 

When concerns arise, we act decisively, proportionately and consistently, investigating thoroughly, requiring corrective measures, and monitoring ongoing compliance.  

Farms that cannot meet our expectations cannot remain assured. 

We understand how important this is to the entire supply chain, particularly consumers, retailers and the farming community. Red Tractor members take their responsibilities seriously and are proud to uphold the values our scheme represents.  

The Red Tractor logo stands for something real: food produced responsibly, to high standards, by people who care.  

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Red Tractor Board Update – September 2025
Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire
Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare
Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter
Red Tractor reminds members to maintain poultry training compliance
Communications specialist and researcher Dr Amy Jackson to Chair Dairy TAC 

05 Aug 2025

Backing British beef: Retailers come out in full support of Red Tractor

With speculation around the UK trade negotiations, British retailers are standing firm in their commitments to sourcing Red Tractor assured British beef.

Lidl GB, Waitrose, Co-op, Aldi and Tesco have all reaffirmed their policies for sourcing British beef assured by Red Tractor. These commitments are a welcome vote of confidence in the dedication, quality, and high standards of our beef-producing members.

Speaking to the Press Association, Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland said: “…100 per cent of our everyday fresh beef, pork and poultry is sourced from British farms… We won’t lower our standards even if others do. This isn’t just about food safety. It’s about protecting British farmers and doing the right thing for our customers.”

Waitrose reported a surge in demand for British-grown food with sales of British beef up 193% compared to this time last year.

Jake Pickering, Head of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries at Waitrose & Partners, said: “Our customers are telling us they want to support UK producers, and we’re proud to be a retailer that champions them every step of the way.”

Richard Bourns, Lidl GB chief commercial officer, who wrote to Red Tractor confirming the retailers’ confidence in Red Tractor assurance, said: “British farming is recognised globally for its high standards of animal welfare, food safety and environmental stewardship. At Lidl, we know these values matter to our customers, which is why we proudly support and champion British agriculture.”

These commitments demonstrate a strong, united front among leading UK retailers and send a powerful message of confidence in the integrity of UK farming and the assurance schemes that underpin it.

Speaking at the time of the Lidl GB commitment, Red Tractor Chair, Alistair Mackintosh, called on others to follow suit.

Consumer demand for British produce was also confirmed by Red Tractor’s latest Trust in Food Index. The research, commissioned to reinforce calls for retailers and the government to back British, revealed that 94% of people trust food produced in the UK. For food from the US, trust drops to just a third.

Consumers have made it clear: they value food that reflects British values of local, safe, and responsibly produced. This is supported by three quarters of main shoppers saying they recognise the Red Tractor logo and see it as an independent marque they can trust. Undermining these expectations risks eroding UK consumers’ confidence in food safety and standards that British farmers and assurance bodies have worked so hard to earn.

We thank these retailers for leading by example and demonstrating their continued support for British beef. We will keep pressing for others to follow suit because, we know that supporting British farming is not only good for business – it is essential for trust in our food system.

 

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Red Tractor Board Update – September 2025
Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire
Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare
Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter
Red Tractor reminds members to maintain poultry training compliance
Communications specialist and researcher Dr Amy Jackson to Chair Dairy TAC 

23 Jun 2025

Red Tractor CEO reflects on 25 years of British food and farming standards

A thank you for 25 years of working to Great British food and farming standards

Tuesday 24 June 2025
By Jim Moseley,
Red Tractor CEO

Cast your mind back, if you can, to the end of the last millennium. Tony Blair was Prime Minister. People watched programs at set times on box-like televisions, with a choice of five terrestrial channels and the only electric cars were on Scalextric tracks. You might have recently bought the mighty Nokia 3310 mobile phone – but it didn’t have a camera and the idea that one day you’d be using it to file your accounts, check the weather or video chat to people on the other side of the world would have seemed like science fiction.

Something else was very different then too: the reputation of British food and farming was in crisis. A cascade of critical issues during the 1980s and 1990s – BSE, salmonella in eggs, pesticide residues, foot-and-mouth disease – had caused consumer confidence to plummet. Some businesses would proudly proclaim that they didn’t stock British beef. UK farmers and food businesses had lost market share at home as well as export contracts.

The importance of food and farm assurance

Farmers committing to assurance schemes like Red Tractor underpin public trust in British food. Red Tractor isn’t just the largest food assurance scheme in the UK, covering 75% of the nation’s food production – it’s also the most recognised and trusted farm assurance marques on the market. 72% of shoppers recognise the Red Tractor logo, and 58% say it’s important to them in the food choices they make. That’s because when consumers see the Red Tractor logo on a product, they trust that it’s been produced and handled with care across the product’s journey to the supermarket.

It’s also thanks to the brands and retailers which insist on fully traceable supply chains, for whom the Red Tractor logo signifies credibility behind their claims of provenance and quality. Red Tractor now assures £17 billion worth of British food and drink; a number we’re incredibly proud of and which we will continue to grow so the daily efforts of our members and licensees are known by more and more British consumers.

We’re proud too of the government trust held by our Red Tractor members. Because of ‘earned recognition’ agreements, Red Tractor assured farms receive far fewer inspections from some government agencies. For example, a Red Tractor assured dairy farm can expect a hygiene inspection from the Food Standards Agency once every 10 years, compared to every two years for non-certified farms.

British farming is also being deservedly recognised at an international level. The European Commission, for example, lists Red Tractor as one of the voluntary schemes that meets its sustainability requirements for biofuels, opening up access to a growing market across Europe. Red Tractor is frequently cited by the likes of the World Trade Organization and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (Codex) used Red Tractor and its relationship with the FSA, as a global exemplar of how regulation and third-party assurance can work in harmony to strengthen food standards and trade. Thanks to the year-round commitments of our members, the UK is widely seen as a global leader in farm assurance, marking a 180-degree shift over the last 25 years.

The next 25 years of standards

But while we have much to celebrate as we look back, our focus is firmly on the future. As technology continues to reshape the public conversation about food and where it comes from, so will the scrutiny of farming practices.

Ensuring food safety remains an ongoing job, and we can never take our eye off the ball. According to the World Health Organisation 600 million people fall ill and 420 000 people die from unsafe food every year. While the UK can boast one of the lowest rates in the world, we are not immune, as the e-coli outbreak in 2024 highlighted.

Consumer concerns and scrutiny over Animal welfare continue to grow and we want to keep working with farmers to improve the lives of farmed animals – as reflected in recently introduced tiered labelling for “enhanced welfare” and “free range” poultry. Ultimately we want every shopper, whatever their budget, to demand Red Tractor.

Maintaining trust in British food is crucial with the government negotiating a series of new free trade deals that could expose farmers to increased competition. In this context, it’s encouraging to see Retailers and Caterers continued commitment – Aldi and Tesco reaffirming their commitment to sourcing meat and dairy products from Red Tractor certified British farms. Ultimately, customers want food they can trust – and our high standards can provide a competitive edge, in both domestic and export markets.

Of course, we must continue to deliver value for farmers and food businesses too. Following the recent independent Farm Assurance Review, we have committed to wide-ranging improvements to ensure our system works for farmers. We’ve already begun work on improving audit efficiency and using new technology to reduce the burden on farmers.

We’ll also be launching a new marketing and communications campaign to tie in with our 25th anniversary, which will drive consumer awareness and understanding of what the Red Tractor label means – further reinforcing the public’s trust in farm-assured British produce.

We don’t know what the world will look like in 2050. But in the years ahead, we’re determined to play our part in supporting British farmers and businesses who go to great lengths to ensure that everyone benefits from food produced to high standards.

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Red Tractor Board Update – September 2025
Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire
Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare
Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter
Red Tractor reminds members to maintain poultry training compliance
Communications specialist and researcher Dr Amy Jackson to Chair Dairy TAC 

18 Jun 2025

Brits demand more food is produced in the UK   

New research shows British shoppers trust homegrown food most amid trade deal debates

18 June 2025, UK:

  • UK consumers trust British food more than food from other countries, with trust in British food reaching a 4-year high of 94%
  • 90% of Brits want to see more food produced in the UK with concern over standards of foreign food
  • Traceability and animal welfare remain the main drivers of trust in British food, with farmers key to delivering this
  • Findings form part of Red Tractor’s 5th “Trust in Food Index” – the UK’s most comprehensive survey of attitudes to food standards and qualities

At a time of extensive speculation about increased imports as a result of trade deals, new research commissioned by Red Tractor reveals that 94% of UK consumers trust food produced in the UK, more than other countries around the world.

Nine in ten people (90%) want to see more food produced in the UK. Meanwhile just around a third of people say they trust food produced in the US (33%) and India (31%) – a steep decline from the Index’s 2023 findings of 74% and 62% respectively.

Many people believe these countries have lower animal welfare standards than the UK. Nearly three out of five Brits (57%) believe the US has lower standards than our own, potentially causing concern about products entering the UK market – up from 46% in 2023.

The higher level of trust in food is due to a number of factors, with rising confidence across all aspects of UK food production and assurance. 90% of adults now believe that food produced in the UK is safe [2024: 83%, 2023: 72%], 88% say it is good quality [2024: 81%, 2023: 73%], and 86% are confident that UK food is traceable through the supply chain [2024: 86%, 2023: 64%].

Drivers of trust in UK food

The UK’s record on animal welfare is another key driver of this trust, with more than four in five people (83%) recognising the UK’s high animal welfare standards as the reason to trust homegrown food.

Britain’s farmers are the trusted guardians of our weekly shop with 88% of consumers having trust in them, followed closely by assurance schemes (79%).

When asked about which group is the most responsible for ensuring food is safe and good quality in the UK, food assurance and inspection schemes came out top, followed by the government and farmers.

The findings, which draw on research from over 2,000 UK consumers, form part of Red Tractor’s annual “Trust in Food Index”, first produced in 2021 and designed to provide the most comprehensive assessment of British consumer attitudes to food.

UK shoppers demand more safeguards for British farmers

Shoppers responding to this survey were clear about their support for British food and farming:<

  • “We don’t support our own Farmers enough”
  • “Farmers are being undercut by imported goods”
  • “Too many cheap imports from countries that don’t have the same safeguards for crops or animals we do here.”

For British shoppers, if they are going to buy imported food, closer to home is better. Ireland is the most trusted country outside the UK to produce beef, chicken, pork and dairy products. Ireland’s animal welfare standards are considered very close to the UK’s.

Alistair Mackintosh vice chair Red TractorAlistair Mackintosh, Chair of Red Tractor, commented on the role of food and farming standards:

“The world leading standards to which British farmers operate sets us apart from our international competitors. It’s this dedication to quality, safety and animal welfare that underpins the trust consumers place in British food — and it’s something our farmers continue to earn every day through their hard work and high standards. The results from the survey highlight the value that UK shoppers place in trusting UK-produced food.

“As discussions continue around opening the UK market to US beef imports, we must be clear: our priority should be championing British produce — reared to world-leading standards and independently assured through third-party assurance schemes like Red Tractor, reassuring shoppers that items have gone through rigorous checks before reaching the supermarket.

“The UK Government must value and continue to defend British food standards and our farming industry by ensuring that any imports meet the same high bar. Consumers are clear that it is important their food is produced here in the UK, and rightly expect that what they put in their shopping basket reflects British values. Undercutting those expectations with lower-standard imports would betray the trust that farmers and assurance schemes have worked so hard to build. Alongside the NFU and our industry partners, I am clear that the best way consumers can support British farmers and food is to look for the Red Tractor logo.”

Celebrating 25 years of trust in UK produce, underpinned by food and farming standards

These findings come as Red Tractor celebrates 25 years since the creation of Red Tractor as a cross-industry initiative to restore trust in British food and farming. To mark its 25th anniversary, Red Tractor will be thanking its members and licensed businesses for their commitment to British food and farming standards and their contribution to the historic turnaround in domestic and global trust in British food. A new consumer marketing campaign, planned for later in the year, will also celebrate the milestone.

About the research  

2025 Trust in Food Index – YouGov polled over 2,000 adults across a nationally representative sample in the UK. Fieldwork was conducted online between 4th – 5th June 2025. 2023 Trust in Food Index – Opinium polled over 5,000 adults across a nationally representative sample in the UK. Fieldwork was conducted online between 17th – 30th August 2023.

Recent Stories…

Recent stories
Red Tractor Board Update – September 2025
Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley to retire
Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare
Red Tractor labelled meat must be stunned before slaughter
Red Tractor reminds members to maintain poultry training compliance
Communications specialist and researcher Dr Amy Jackson to Chair Dairy TAC