Young farmers ask: Do Brits trust their food?

Trust in British Farmers

The British public care about British food and trust the farmers who produce it for them.

Red Tractor’s latest Trust in Food Index results also show that consumers continue to have very high trust UK food and in British farmers to produce it. 80% of UK consumers trust British farmers, and they are ready and willing to support an expanded UK food and farming sector.

British shoppers are also clear that food coming from outside the UK must not undercut the high standards that British farmers work to, particularly on animal welfare.

York – birthplace of the Yorkshire Pud

In York, Heather and Alfie spoke to shoppers about British farming, food standards and support for farmers.

Claims must be checked

Consumers are less inclined to trust claims purely at face value. They are suspicious of anyone who appears to be marking their own homework.

Shoppers want clearer information about where their food comes from and whether on-pack claims are independently checked. As our young farmers discovered, and as the Trust in Food Index confirms, confidence in independent assurance schemes like Red Tractor is growing because they show a producer’s commitment to standards and third-party verification.

Cambridge – city of the onion

Will Pratt took to the high street in Cambridge to ask people what matters to them when choosing food, from trust to the Red Tractor logo.

Red Tractor is at every price

As we have seen across the country and in the Trust In Food Index, price is a huge concern for shoppers.

As budgets have tightened and the cost of living continues to burn a hole in the British public’s pocket, many shoppers have changed their shopping habits, switching from more traditional retailers to discounters for all or some of their purchases.

Where price falls, some consumers assume standards fall with it. But that’s not the case – Red Tractor standards are identical across every retailer and every product range, from the most expensive line to the cheapest. Where the Red Tractor logo appears on pack, shoppers choosing a lower-priced product still get the same assurance behind their food.

Brighton – the UK’s ice cream capital

In Brighton, Will Roobottom asked shoppers about British food, farming and the role of assurance in building confidence.

21 million shoppers trust the Tractor

Red Tractor is now the UK’s most recognised and trusted farm assurance mark. Three quarters of main household shoppers are aware of the logo, and 21 million say they trust it.

This is a strong endorsement of British food and farming, and something all Red Tractor assured farmers and growers can be proud of. For more than eight years, Red Tractor has used broadcast and digital advertising to highlight the commitment of British farmers and food producers to safe, traceable food that is farmed with care.