The first UK-wide, comprehensive review of farm assurance has called for a fundamental reset of the system to rebuild confidence among farmers.
The review, published yesterday (Monday, January 20) concludes that farm assurance is critical to the industry’s future, is delivering necessary assurances on quality to consumers but must make some fundamental changes to address growing frustration among farmers in how it is delivered.
The nine-month review collected evidence from every link in the UK food supply chain. The dissatisfaction expressed by farmers was not uniform across all sectors nor across all nations.
Notably, assurance schemes in devolved areas work more effectively than UK-wide schemes.
According to Promar International, the report is therefore nuanced in its approach, recognising where existing arrangements work well, but being clear where changes are essential.
Recommendations
The review makes nine strategic recommendations:
- On-farm audits must be reduced, simplified and delivered more consistently;
- There must be a transformational step forward in embracing technology;
- Schemes need to reset and/or restate their structures to establish farmers as the driving voice in standards development;
- An industry-led initiative must set out the future environmental ambitions for farm assurance;
- The inclusion of regulatory requirements within farm assurance should be conditional on government agreeing a form of ‘earned recognition’;
- There must be greater collaboration between farm assurance schemes across the UK;
- Schemes must better position the UK farming industry in world food markets and in competition with imported food;
- All schemes must review and improve their communication with farmers;
- The Red Tractor scheme must complete the implementation of recommendations in the Campbell Tickell report on its governance.
Under these nine strategic recommendations, a total of 56 operational recommendations have also been made, with clear lead bodies and timescales.
The commissioners who undertook the review have also called on governments across the UK to take a more structured and active approach to the interaction between assurance schemes and regulation.
Lead commissioner, Dr David Llewellyn said: “Many of our recommendations will be challenging. They are about changes to organisational cultures and expectations, as much as they are about processes.
“But we view them as integral to building a farm assurance system that is trusted, successful and underpins a profitable future for UK farming.”
Responses
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has welcomed the independent Farm Assurance Review report.
AHDB has stated that it has always maintained that farm assurance is integral to the functioning of a transparent and safe food and feed supply chain.
“We understand the importance of a farm assurance system that commands the complete trust and confidence of our levy payers,” the AHDB stated.
“This review marks a significant step forward for farm assurance, and we are optimistic about the opportunities it presents for meaningful change across the agricultural industry.
“We extend our gratitude to the four commissioners – David Llewellyn, Mark Suthern, Katrina Williams, and James Withers – and to Promar International for their thorough and diligent work.”
Over the next few weeks, AHDB said it will take time to consider the findings as well as meeting with the other impacted industry parties to determine the next steps.
It added that it will update the industry and levy payers in due course.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) also commented by stating that in January 2024, the NFU and AHDB announced plans for a comprehensive review of farm to fork assurance schemes.
The aim was to assess whether they are functioning well for farmers and supply chains, and to determine whether they are fit for a modern farming environment.
In a joint statement, NFU president Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru Ppesident 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,” he concluded.
