Statement from AHDB Chair Emily Norton on the Farm Assurance Review progress report

AHDB Chair Emily Norton said: “We would like to thank David Llewellyn and the commissioners for undertaking the original review and the two progress reports, which were jointly funded by AHDB and the national farming unions.

"Over the past year, we have been working on the 14 practical recommendations we were asked to help deliver.

"AHDB has undertaken an international comparison of standards in the Beef & Lamb sector, and we are currently working through similar analysis in the Dairy sector. In relation to Red Tractor, we are working closely with the other owners to support the ongoing changes within the scheme.

“Today, AHDB is also publishing a paper, in conjunction with the NFU, looking at the purpose, scope and value of assurance in general terms. This paper sets out the rationale and purpose of assurance, and the difference between foundational assurance and enhanced or tiered assurance. We intend this paper to serve as the bedrock for the future development of assurance schemes in the UK. 

"We will continue to work through the recommendations in the review and report back to industry as each project is completed. This includes our research into assurance within the Cereals & Oilseeds sector, which we plan to complete by autumn 2026.

"The Farm Assurance Review (FAR) is helping underpin the critical role farm assurance plays in our industry. We look forward to continuing the conversations with industry partners on the future of assurance and commit to working collaboratively with the industry to support the review on behalf of our levy payers."