Following the publication of the UK Farm Assurance Review (UKFAR), Dr. David Llewellyn CBE, has been appointed as the independent monitoring and reporting commissioner.
Llewellyn was appointed after leading the independent commission that produced the report in January 2025.
Commenting on his appointment, Llewellyn said: “I am pleased that there will be an opportunity, over the next year, for progress in implementing the UKFAR recommendations to be formally assessed and publicly reported.”
Llewellyn was appointed by the Farm Assurance Review Sponsoring Group, which comprises the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), along with NFU Cymru, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and NFU Scotland (NFUS).
UKFAR said Llewellyn will shortly be inviting stakeholders identified in the report to submit their feedback on relevant recommendations and to set out their proposed actions for delivery.
The sponsoring group said it is committed to the development of an assurance system that meets the needs of farmers, as well as the wider industry, but it is not for us alone to determine how the UKFAR recommendations are implemented.
UKFAR said the appointment of an independent monitoring and reporting commissioner will, “ensure there is transparency as the relevant parties consider and implement the changes required to help farm assurance work better for our members and levy payers.”
Over the next year, Llewellyn will be responsible for facilitating discussions with stakeholders and ensuring actions are monitored through the publication of independent progress reports in the autumn of 2025 and spring of 2026.
Llewellyn said: “My role will be to independently monitor and report on the actions of the organisations identified in the initial farm assurance report, but it will be for those organisations to participate fully, and transparently, in addressing the recommendations in order to contribute to the improvement of the UK’s farm assurance system.”
