The NFU and AHDB have today announced a joint review of farm assurance schemes following controversy over Red Tractor's 'bolt-on' voluntary environmental module.
Both organisations believe now is the right time to conduct a review to ensure assurance schemes are fit for purpose in modern times.
Red Tractor's controversial Greener Farms Commitment standard is on hold following a backlash among farmers, many of whom feared it would eventually become compulsory, forcing them to increase spend on higher environmental standards.
The NFU and AHDB's new review will seek to capture views from across the whole industry, including farmers, growers, merchants and processors.
It will examine how farm assurance can deliver value back to scheme members and explore how they are developed to meet the evolving needs of members, the markets they serve, sector diversity and in appreciation of the global marketplace.
The review will also seek how members are engaged with, including the development of standards, and how technology is used in assurance now and in future.
Red Tractor, which was formed 25 years ago, will be considered as part of this process as it is the dominant assurance scheme in many key sectors.
However, the NFU and AHDB stress that this is only a part of the purpose of the review, which is focused on all areas of farm assurance.
Both groups agree that 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".
Announcing the review, NFU President Minette Batters said "it's time for change", adding that farmers "don’t feel that many schemes currently work for them".
“The world is very different to the way it was when farm assurance schemes started in the UK some 25 years ago," she explained.
"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.”
Next steps include appointing an independent commission to oversee the review, as well as to ensure full transparency, according to the NFU and AHDB.
Meanwhile, AHDB is conducting two additional pieces of work to provide 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.
In the cereals sector, AHDB says it will set out what assurance covers and how it currently works for the different supply sources into the market.
The levy board says it is developing the terms of reference for this work and expects that this work will be complete by next summer.
AHDB chair Nicholas Saphir said it was vital that the reputation of levy payers' produce is maintained by assurance and where relevant, audits.
He said: “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.”
