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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

22 Sep 2025

Shared Commitment, Shared Success: Red Tractor Backing Better Dairy Welfare

The latest review of the UK Dairy Cattle Welfare Strategy (2023–2028) shows real progress in cow health and wellbeing, driven by collaboration across the industry. The strategy sets six key goals: healthy feet, thriving cows, healthy udders, cow comfort, good nutrition, and positive welfare. Farmers, vets, researchers, processors, retailers, and assurance schemes are all contributing to these improvements.

Lameness, a costly but preventable problem, is being reduced through routine mobility scoring, while tighter control of Johne’s disease has nearly halved herd infection levels since 2015. Mastitis cases have fallen thanks to regular monitoring, and more cows are in good body condition with fewer lesions and swellings than a decade ago.

Red Tractor supports these efforts by translating welfare science into practical standards that can be applied on farm. With 98% of UK milk coming from Red Tractor-assured farms, this shared commitment is helping to drive real change. From mobility scoring at assessments to the adoption of the National Johne’s Management Plan (NJMP) into the standards, Red Tractor provides a consistent framework that ensures improvements are widespread rather than isolated.

As the strategy continues to 2028, farmers’ day-to-day dedication, backed by science-led innovation and practical standards, will remain central to future progress in cow welfare and sustainability. As Red Tractor evolves to meet changing industry demands we will look to see where our standards can support the strategy.

Jemma Holden, Red Tractor’s Dairy Technical Manager underlined Red Tractor’s role in bridging welfare science with practical standards. She said “Improving cow welfare is a shared commitment. Red Tractor’s role is to translate welfare science into practical, on-farm standards. By providing clear, consistent standards we’re helping the industry make meaningful, lasting progress in line with the Dairy Cattle Welfare Strategy. As industry demands evolve, we’ll continue to ensure our standards support that strategy.”

Find the 2025 review of progress report here: Dairy Cattle Welfare Strategy – A Review of Progress 2023-2025.

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 

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

The Future of Assurance: Setting the path for improvement 

Red Tractor has committed to delivering improvements including streamlining assessments and reducing audit burden.

Simon Thorpe, Senior Technical Manager at Red Tractor explains the work already underway to ensure meaningful change for farmers and growers.

The last four months have been a busy time for Red Tractor’s operations team. The entire team is working hard to put in place the building blocks to enable us to improve the value and experience of Red Tractor assurance for farmers and growers.  We understand the eagerness of many members to see change happen as soon as possible.

While we’ve already been rolling out many operational changes, such as improvements to the Red Tractor Member Portal and communications, we’ve also been taking the time to ensure we’re set up to deliver meaningful changes to requirements and assessments that provide the improvements you’ve asked for.  Some examples of the work we’ve been doing:

Effective decision-making
As a multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit organisation, Red Tractor’s operations are directed and informed by a wide range of experts sitting on Sector Boards, Technical Advisory Committees and the Board of Directors. These groups include representatives from each farming sector, and importantly the entire supply chain, helping to ensure that Red Tractor delivers value to all.

Throughout the past 24 years, Red Tractor has worked hard to balance the needs and views of all stakeholders including retailers, processors, farmers and governments. Achieving consensus between these often-opposing perspectives can, however, be challenging. As a result, we’ve been working hard to instil a spirit of collaboration, trust and shared values within these groups, to ensure they function effectively so that all perspectives are considered.

After thorough consultation with those sitting on Sector Boards, new Terms of Reference have been developed for each group detailing the roles and expectations of representatives. The Terms of Reference are now close to final and will be published over the summer. As we move forward to identify and deliver improvements, this common understanding will be essential to establishing consensus and taking account of impacts of changes throughout the supply chain.

Clear ground rules for standards setting 
As we identify potential changes to Red Tractor’s requirements, we’re mindful that there needs to be consistency and alignment on what these changes aim to achieve.  A new policy for the development of Red Tractor Standards has been developed to guide Red Tractor’s approach to all future standards and operational reviews. This policy includes a clear vision and purpose for Red Tractor together with principles which will act as our north star for standards setting.

These include principles of clarity, practicality and objectivity of standards and assessment, together with a key focus on British provenance, food safety and animal welfare. The policy will be published on our website and available to all stakeholders as we work together to identify potential improvements.

Developing sector-specific strategies
Recognising that different farming sectors require different approaches, we’re developing sector-specific strategies that identify the priorities and objectives for that sector over the coming months and years. These strategies will take onboard feedback from stakeholders and set a path for delivering changes.

While all sectors will take stock of current scheme content and approach, focus and priorities will differ by sector. We can already see some sectors focusing on streamlining standards while others are placing greater emphasis on integrating technology or seeking to reduce overall audit burden.

Each Sector Board will take into account the need for meaningful consultation with opportunities for members to input into decision-making.

Initial discussions about these strategies took place during the July Sector Board meetings (find out more in the Sector Board summaries). Taking onboard initial feedback, we’ll be sharing more detailed strategies for consideration by Sector Boards in September, after which we hope to be able to share more details on the direction of travel within each sector.

As expressed in our response to the Farm Assurance Review, we’re committed to making change happen while prioritising key issues, allowing time for consultation and collaboration, and balancing speed with rigour. 

Keep up to date with our progress in delivering our commitments at redtractor.org.uk/FAR. 

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 

16 Jul 2025

Reflections on the UK Food Strategy 

Jim Mosely, CEO Red Tractor 

16 July 2025 

Yesterday, the UK Government published its Food Strategy for England, focusing on healthier and more affordable food, good growth, sustainable and resilient supply and vibrant food cultures. 

The strategy provides a framework for policy development, but there will be much work to do in understanding how it can be delivered.  

At Red Tractor, we’re very supportive of a comprehensive food strategy that supports local food systems, domestic production and upholds British standards. We welcome all opportunities to work with the Government to understand the role of assurance in delivering the strategy.  

Just last Thursday, I had the opportunity to hear from the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner and to extend this offer of support and collaboration. I joined a small group of farmers, growers, processors and branded food manufacturers at a dinner hosted by Mills & Reeve – one of the country’s largest legal firms in terms of food, beverage and agriculture. During the meeting Daniel Zeichner spoke on subjects as varied as gene editing, planning decisions and the Food Strategy. 

I took the opportunity to impress upon the Minister both the importance and the potential of the UK’s agri-food industry. Boasting some of the highest standards of food safety and animal welfare in the world, our industry is one to be proud of. With the right tools it can be a major contributor to Government’s aims of increased food security and growth through exports.  

However, Government needs to give the industry the respect and trust that it deserves and listen to those stakeholders that can drive growth. Policies should be based on market opportunities and facts not on anti-farming opinions. Planning decisions should be taken at the highest level – ensuring national objectives are taken into account – and not by parish councils. Labelling and food choice should be driven by consumer research not activist pressure. I also talked of the value of assurance to the food chain and to Government – a message that was well received and that we must build on with this Administration.     

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