Progress update on Red Tractor

Following recent meetings of the Red Tractor main board and of the ownership group, both of which AHDB is a member of, this update serves to keep levy payers informed about progress and our position on related matters.

Our role is to provide the industry with evidence on which others who are representative, trade or membership organisations can make informed decisions.

In the case of assurance, we are consistent in stating that it is vital that the reputation of levy payers' produce is maintained by assurance and where relevant, audits, to underpin the work we do on behalf of the industry in regard to promotion in the home and export markets.

The UK operates in an increasingly competitive international food environment, and we must be prepared to prove the high standards of quality, safety, production and provenance of our food to defend and promote the reputation of our industry. We must also respond to the changing needs of our customers and consumers.

Our position remains that a wide-ranging independent strategic review of assurance needs to take place.

We are currently working on what the terms of reference for this review will cover and we are doing this in conjunction with the NFU. AFS/Red Tractor have indicated that such a review is outside of their remit.

In summary, the two reviews that have been referenced in relation to Red Tractor are as follows:

• NFU governance review of Red Tractor. The NFU has commissioned Cambell Tickell to undertake a review of Red Tractor governance which will report back to the NFU council and Red Tractor at the end of January 2024. Terms of reference can be found here.
• Wider review into assurance. As mentioned above, we have pressed for a more strategic review on assurance to take place, however this was not supported widely at the Red Tractor board or ownership group. AHDB and the NFU will continue to progress this work with urgency and encourage others to support it.

In addition to this, we recognise the need for levy payers to understand more about assurance schemes, how they operate and why they are needed. Therefore we are conducting two additional pieces of work:

• In the Beef and Lamb sector, we will explore how domestic farm standards compare with our international competitors. The first stage of this work will be complete by the end of March 2024
• In the Cereals and Oilseeds sector, we will set out what assurance covers and how it currently works for the different supply sources into our market. We are developing the terms of reference for this work, working with industry, and expect that this work will be complete by next summer

We have been clear that the Greener Farms Commitment should not be taken forward until the relevant reviews have been completed and considered.