Farmers across East Anglia have been urged to make their voices heard in a consultation on how the UK's farm assurance standards should "evolve".
Red Tractor, the largest farm and food assurance scheme in the UK covering food safety, traceability, animal welfare and environmental protection, is seeking industry views before finalising what its updated standards will be from November 2021.
It says the proposals have been developed over 12 months, involving food chain representatives including farmers, vets, processors and retailers.
They are primarily aimed at "streamlining, legislative compliance and responding to change", but also include improved measures around animal welfare, worker welfare and environmental protection.
Red Tractor chief executive Jim Moseley said: "Red Tractor is recognised as a symbol of British food quality but to maintain this, our standards must continue to evolve with the times, to ensure they address changes in legislation, industry practice and reflect the emerging issues on shoppers’ minds.
"These proposals strive to strike a delicate balance which protects and promotes our members, reassures consumers and customers, while acknowledges the challenges that the industry faces with future trade deals and the agricultural transition plan."
Stuart Roberts, deputy president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), urged farmers to have their say.
"It’s vital that farmers voice their opinion and continue to influence the continuing standard of assurance that the Red Tractor provides," he said.
"Now more than ever, we need to ensure that our standards on food, whether for animal welfare, food safety or environmental protection, meet the needs of both farmers and the public."
Some of the proposals were made in response to a 2019 review of Red Tractor by Dr Jonathan Birnie, which identified limitations in the standards around animal welfare, worker welfare and environmental protection. Examples include:
- Linking animal welfare outcomes to food standards, including housing cleanliness and making it "absolutely clear what is and is not acceptable when handling animals".
- Incorporating "worker welfare" into the standards to protect workers in an industry with a very poor health and safety record.
- The inclusion of the Farming Rules for Water, which aim to reduce soil erosion and pollution run-off from fields.
The consultation closes on March 5 and can be accessed at the Red Tractor consultation hub.
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