Featured stories

The Future of Assurance: Setting the path for improvement

Reflections on the UK Food Strategy: From CEO Jim Moseley

Retail commitment to British Beef: Backing Red Tractor farmers

25 years supporting British farming: Join us at this years Farmers Weekly awards

Red Tractor website makeover: Easier than ever to access the information you need

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.

CEO reflections on the UK Food Strategy

Recently, 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.

Shortly before the report was published, Jim Moseley, Red Tractor CEO 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.

Jim 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.

Jim 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. Jim 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.    

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.   

Proud to celebrate 25 years supporting British farming

Red Tractor was launched 25 years ago as an industry-wide collaboration to restore confidence in UK food and farming. Today, it is the UK’s most recognised farm assurance scheme, with the Red Tractor logo seen by retailers, brands and consumers as a symbol of food that is safe, traceable and responsibly produced.

This is only possible because of the efforts and expertise of farmers, growers and the entire supply chain.

Thank you for 25 years of partnership.

As we celebrate this milestone year, we’re putting the spotlight on the real people behind the produce: the farmers, whose innovation, hard work, and passion deserve recognition.

At the Farmers Weekly Awards

Red Tractor is sponsoring the 2025 Mixed Farmer of the Year Award at the Farmers Weekly Awards later in the year. The awards are one of the most prestigious evenings in the UK farming calendar, a black-tie celebration of outstanding farmers and food producers from across the country. Our sponsorship celebrates excellence, innovation and best practice across mixed farming.

Join us at the Farmers Weekly awards.
Win an exclusive experience for you and a guest!

Date: Thursday, 2 October 2025
Location: Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London
Travel: We’ll cover rail expenses to London. 
Stay: Enjoy complimentary accommodation in London on the night of the awards.

Find out how to win a pair of tickets

At the Cumbria Farmer Awards

We’re also proud to sponsor the Judges Special Award at this year’s Cumbria Farmer Awards. Cumbria is home to some of the country’s most passionate and resilient farmers, from upland sheep producers in the Lake District to innovative dairy and mixed farms. We want to recognise the excellence and commitment of Cumbrian farmers who work tirelessly to produce high-quality food while caring for their animals and the environment, often in challenging conditions.

Supporting events like these helps us raise the profile of British farming and celebrate the people who make it what it is. But our support isn’t just about recognition, it’s about reaffirming our shared values. We know that farming isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life.

Thank you for all you do.

We’re proud to support you, and proud to support British farming.

Red Tractor website gets a makeover

We’re excited to announce that the Red Tractor website has had a makeover!

As part of our ongoing commitment to clear, effective communication, we’ve redesigned our website to make it easier than ever to access the information you need. Now, all things Red Tractor can be found in one place at www.redtractor.org.uk. Whether you're a farmer, grower, or supply chain partner, you'll find clearly signposted sections tailored to your needs.

This project is a key part of our ongoing response to the Farm Assurance Review, which highlighted the need for clearer, more user-friendly communications and easier access to information.

What’s new:

A clearer landing page with more intuitive signposts to key information.
News ‘tags’ to help users find content they are interested in
Easier navigation and clearer page layouts
Improved presentation of key content – a new look and feel.
The ability to download all templates for each scheme in one go, saving you time and hassle

This is just one step in our continuous journey to improve how we connect with members.We know that a website is never ‘done’ so we’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for further improvements. Please get in touch at memberhelp@redtractor.org.uk