In January 2024, the NFU and AHDB announced plans for a comprehensive review of farm to fork assurance schemes to assess whether they are functioning well for farmers and supply chains, and to determine whether they are fit for a modern farming environment.
Both in terms of our domestic market for food and drink and in the context of a post-Brexit world of international trade agreements, changing geopolitical landscapes and shocks to the economy such as the pandemic.
Independent commission
In March 2024, the UK farming unions and AHDB appointed an independent commission to undertake the review, set out the terms of reference, a realistic timeline, and to ensure that the process provides a clear outcome for the industry.
To achieve this, Promar was appointed to support the data gathering and production of the report under the direction of the commissioners.
The four commissioners driving this review were:
- Dr David Llewellyn CBE (lead commissioner) – former Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University.
- James Withers – former Chief Executive Officer of Scotland Food and Drink.
- Mark Suthern – Chairman of Trustees of the FCN (Farming Community Network).
- Katrina Williams - former Director General of Food & Farming at Defra, before leading all of Defra’s international work.
“This has been a critical piece of work and we hope it will provide a reset moment to enable Farm Assurance Schemes to better deliver for the whole UK food supply chain and our customers.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones
Report recommendations
The report makes a number of detailed recommendations under nine broad strategic themes:
- On-farm audits must be reduced, simplified and delivered more consistently.
- There must be a transformational step forward in embracing technology and managing data to deliver more effective farm assurance with greater added value for all.
- Farm assurance schemes need to reset and/or restate their decision-making structures to establish farmers as the driving voice in standards development.
- A new industry-led initiative must set out the future environmental ambitions for farm assurance, establishing this as an area of competitive advantage for UK farming.
- The inclusion of regulatory requirements within farm assurance standards and audits should be conditional on government and regulators agreeing a form of ‘earned recognition’.
- There must be greater coordination in the way in which farm assurance operates across the UK nations.
- Farm assurance schemes must better position the UK farming industry in world food markets and in competition with imported food.
- All farm assurance schemes must review, and, where necessary, improve their methods of communication with the farming industry.
- The Red Tractor scheme must complete the implementation of recommendations in the Campbell Tickell report (governance review).
‘Delivering on these recommendations is essential’
In a joint statement, NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: “We’d like to thank the commissioners for their dedication to this review and for delivering such a detailed report.
“This has been a critical piece of work and we hope it will provide a reset moment to enable Farm Assurance Schemes to better deliver for the whole UK food supply chain and our customers.
“The report outlines a set of clear recommendations which reflect the key concerns of our members, from simplifying on-farm audits to improving communication with farm businesses.
“Delivering on these recommendations is essential and the NFU will work with stakeholders to play its part in helping to take them forward.
“This is a thorough and complex report and we will take time to analyse it in the detail it requires.”
Read the independent UK Farm Assurance Review on the Promar International website.
