Red Tractor reviews: latest update

In a joint response to the news that Red Tractor has ceased plans for the Greener Farms Commitment, the four UK Farming Unions – NFU, NFU Cymru, NFUS and UFU – together with the AHDB, said: “We welcome today's news that Red Tractor has listened to feedback from its members and has axed the proposed Greener Farms Commitment.

“It’s also pleasing to see a commitment from Red Tractor that it will only consider future environmental standards with sector consensus and full consultation. This is essential in rebuilding trust with farmers from across Britain, something we are pleased that Red Tractor has said is a priority and is already acting upon.

“We welcome Red Tractor’s desire for a more transparent, open and effective relationship with farmers in future.”

An NFU spokesperson said: “We welcome confirmation from Red Tractor that it will not be launching the Greener Farms Commitment standard in April.

“The UK farming unions and AHDB have been very clear that the Greener Farms Commitment would be unable to command any level of support, no matter what consultation was put in place, and resumption of work on the Greener Farms Commitment module would be extremely damaging to Red Tractor’s reputation.

“Instead, the AFS board needs to work to re-establish trust and begin again from first principles, engaging in full consultation with all stakeholders.”

The UK farming unions and AHDB agreed on the following advisory statement after they received the final investigatory report from consultants Campbell Tickell, which reviewed the governance of Red Tractor.

While the review found Red Tractor had followed the agreed governance process, it showed this process had fallen well short of winning the consent of its farming members. 

The UK farming unions and AHDB believe that Red Tractor should use the recommendations made by Campbell Tickell to rebuild trust with farming members, and have agreed the following advice to the AFS (Assured Food Standards) Board and leadership.

Purpose 

1. The farming unions and AHDB continue to support the basic objectives that established and underpin the role of Red Tractor.
   
   
2. We recognise that Red Tractor fulfils and should retain its position as a principal core farm assurance standard of choice for producers and retailers in the United Kingdom.
   
   We recognise that to retain this position, Red Tractor standards will evolve and will be kept under review, updated and relevant to the market context, reflective of the impact of devolution on agricultural producers and attentive to the different production sectors and systems.
    
3. The farming unions and AHDB recommend that the AFS leadership team and AFS Board move swiftly to implement the governance recommendations contained in Campbell Tickell’s report.
   
   We recognise that the AFS Board and leadership team may wish to retain professional expertise to assist with the implementation of these recommendations. 
   
   
4. The farming unions and AHDB request that the AFS Board prioritises rebuilding trust and partnership with its farming constituency, listening to and engaging with farmers and growers.
   
   We recognise our clear support for AFS and its programme is crucial, especially as many among our farming constituencies were vocally sceptical of the Greener Farms Commitment and, by extension, Red Tractor. Such opposition presents an existential threat to the business. This threat must be addressed by action from Red Tractor that rekindles the spirit of trust, partnership and collective endeavour that characterised Red Tractor’s earlier development. Such action would enable supportive statements from farming stakeholders.
   
   
5. The farming unions and AHDB encourage AFS to contribute to the general review of farm assurance, which we are sponsoring.
   
   Red Tractor has a dominant market position, longevity and considerable practical experience to offer the independent Commission that will shortly conduct a review of farm assurance. It is vital that the Commission hears these insights during the review.
   
   
6. The farming unions and AHDB strongly recommend that the Greener Farms Commitment module development is discontinued. It is for the AFS Board to consider and agree in what form and when it should commission work on sustainability standards. We recommend that any development must evidently and transparently work with all constituencies across the food and farming supply chain, learning from the distinctions across UK agriculture and horticulture, and particularly sectors with clear demand.
   
   The UK Farming Unions and AHDB are very clear that the Greener Farms Commitment will be unable to command any level of support no matter what consultation is put in place. Resumption of work on the Greener Farms Commitment module would be extremely damaging to Red Tractor’s reputation. Instead, the AFS board needs to begin from first principles in “full consultation mode” and once trust has been re-established, to offer the best basis for propelling action on these issues.

The NFU has received Review 1 – the final report on Red Tractor Governance from Campbell Tickell.

The Red Tractor Independent Governance Review (PDF), delivered within the desired timeframe, makes important recommendations to improve the governance of Red Tractor, not least in recognition of the challenging environment in which farm assurance now operates.

It found Red Tractor followed the agreed governance pathway to arrive at the Greener Farms Commitment module.

The report urges that, alongside governance changes, Red Tractor makes a sustained effort to communicate its purpose and engage further with scheme members.

The Red Tractor owners, including the NFU, expect that the Red Tractor board and leadership will reflect and act on its recommendations.

We believe that this review presents a vital opportunity for Red Tractor to consider its future, addressing challenges such as devolved agricultural policy, and supply chain fairness, and ensuring that UK food production has a secure future.

We also look forward to sharing more information soon about the second, wider, review of farm assurance and outlining ways our members can help shape the future.

We want to thank Campbell Tickell for taking on this report, recognising the strength of feeling across the industry on this subject, and for their professional approach to the task.

You can download Campbell Tickell's report at: Red Tractor Independent Governance Review.

The NFU and AHDB have announced the next steps for a jointly run independent review of farm to fork assurance.

Both organisations believe now is the right time to conduct a robust and transparent review to ensure assurance schemes are fit for purpose in the modern farming environment, for both their members and for home and international markets.

The review, which will seek to capture views from across the whole industry, including farmers, growers, merchants and processors, will examine:

• How farm assurance can deliver value back to scheme members.
• How standards are developed to meet the evolving needs of members, the markets they serve, sector diversity and in appreciation of the global marketplace.
• How assurance members are engaged with (including the development of standards), inspected and how technology is used in assurance now and in future.
• How assurance schemes can and should fit with regulation and government schemes to best serve members.

Inevitably Red Tractor will be considered as part of this process, as it is the dominant assurance scheme in many key sectors, but this is only a part of the purpose of the review, which is focused on all areas of farm assurance.

Both the NFU and AHDB agree that, as it is almost 25 years since the creation of Red Tractor, there is a need to step back and ask some fundamental questions about all farm assurance schemes to ensure the needs of farmers are met.

The next steps include appointing an independent commission to oversee the review and ensure full transparency and the opportunity for farmers and industry to have their say.

Further details will be announced in due course.

NFU President Minette Batters said: “The world is very different to the way it was when farm assurance schemes started in the UK some 25 years ago, not least thanks to huge changes in the way food is produced, coupled with increased interest from consumers about where their food comes from.

“It’s time for change. Farmers and growers don’t feel that many schemes currently work for them. This review will see us go back to basics to look at the future of assurance and I would encourage the entire industry to positively engage with it.

“Food safety, branding, provenance, differing sector needs and sustainability are just some areas that farm assurance is trying to address. It is right to ask how these areas can be delivered without giving away value from the farm gate.”

AHDB Chair Nicholas Saphir said: “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.

“This independent evidence based review will allow us all to understand and address the future needs and opportunities that assurance has to play for the successful future of our industry.”

The AHDB is conducting two additional pieces of work to provide independent insight into assurance schemes, how they operate and why they are needed.

In the Beef and Lamb sector, it 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, AHDB will set out what assurance covers and how it currently works for the different supply sources into our market. It is developing the terms of reference for this work, working with industry, and expect that this work will be complete by next summer.

All of this work will be made available to the Commissioners to help inform the strategic review as appropriate.

NFU Council today received an update from consultancy firm Campbell Tickell, on the review of Red Tractor Governance.

Since the end of November, Campbell Tickell has been undertaking a review which looks at the governance of Red Tractor. While the work is ongoing, NFU Council were updated on the review methodology, the interview process, including the theme of questions for those who were interviewed and included how they feel the Red Tractor governance currently operates across the various structures of Red Tractor, as well as carrying out surveys and reviews of current documents and procedures.

Work to date has identified there is much agreement that UK food assurance has a vital continuing role, while there are questions around how exactly the role of farm assurance should be defined in today’s more challenging environment. The review has also found that the processes and documentation in place are largely sound.

The consultants also indicated to NFU Council that they have been made very aware of the heated debate around the topic and had heard opposing accounts of the process that was followed from respondents.

In terms of the governance review, this in turn goes back to questions of trust, communication and understanding of how each part of the Red Tractor structure is intended to function, all of which require urgent attention. Council also heard from Campbell Tickell that the reviews into Red Tractor were a once in a generation opportunity to rebuild trust and relevance. 

Recommendations from this review will be outlined in a final report by Campbell Tickell, which they confirmed is on track to be delivered later in February.

During this review, Campbell Tickell said it had gathered views that are highly relevant to the second review which it will pass on. Review 2, is an industry wide review, which will look at farm assurance as a whole.  

Plans for Review 2 are being finalised, and more information will be published in the coming days.  

The governance review of Red Tractor commissioned by the NFU, being conducted by Campbell Tickell, has prompted some questions from members.

The remit of Campbell Tickell for this first review was only ever focused on those already directly involved in Red Tractor governance, such as Sector Boards, TACs (Technical Advisory Committees) and the Assured Food Standards Board.

Campbell Tickell has designed a number of different surveys to make questions relevant to each part of the Red Tractor decision making structures.

This is because Review 1 is a deep dive into structural and governance concerns within Red Tractor, and those directly involved are best placed to comment on these intricacies.

Red Tractor reviews – your questions answered

NFU representatives who sit on the respective TACs and boards have all been given an opportunity to input so far, and we will be ensuring the concerns of the NFU and its members are put across clearly.

Given this focus, Campbell Tickell’s remit is not to seek a broad input from the entire industry at this stage.

Importantly, the upcoming second review will be the opportunity to do this. As always intended, Review 2 will be a much more comprehensive review, inviting input from all farmers and all parts of the industry.

The upcoming NFU Council meeting on 22 January will receive an update on both reviews. We will be communicating plans for the second review to the wider membership once the Food, Farming and Environment Board and Council have had a chance to discuss them in January.

You can read more about the reviews on our dedicated page: Red Tractor reviews – your questions answered.

The timeline and scope for the first review into Red Tractor governance has been agreed.

The creation of two critical reviews was announced after NFU Council questioned whether Red Tractor provides value for producers at its meeting on 23 October.

Following an extensive search, the NFU has appointed consultants Campbell Tickell to complete the independent review into the governance of Red Tractor. A multi-disciplinary management consultancy, specialising in governance, Campbell Tickell advises charitable, not-for-profit and public sector organisations.

The review will establish Red Tractor’s decision-making procedures and its transparency, examine who is consulted by Red Tractor in its development of standards and look at the balance of this feedback, and how Red Tractor engages with stakeholders.

Having examined the effectiveness of these processes, the review will identify any obstacles which need addressing. Through interviews and survey work, the review team will speak to a cross-section of those involved across the Red Tractor process, including farmer representatives, to determine how those processes work currently.

In late January, the emerging findings of that review will be presented to NFU Council and the Red Tractor Ownership Body which has agreed to own the findings of the review and also approved the terms of reference. The final report should be made available in mid-February.

Scope of the review

For the Red Tractor governance review the terms of reference and scope include:

• Establish Red Tractor’s decision-making procedures and their transparency.
• Examine who is consulted by Red Tractor in its development of standards, and when.
• Look at the balance of this feedback and how Red Tractor engages with farmers.
• Examine the effectiveness of these processes and identify the obstacles which need addressing.
• Speak to those involved across the Red Tractor process in determining all these things.

The Board went on to scope out a longer-term review of farm assurance generally, again to meet the request of NFU Council. This will commence in the coming weeks with NFU member ‘conversations’ structured to surface the full range of strengths and weaknesses in terms of farm assurance which will then feed in to the wider review.

We are in discussion with AHDB to ensure that our separate proposals for a wider review are consolidated into a jointly commissioned independent review.

The NFU will continue to update its members as the process develops.