The Council of the National Farmers’ Union today reiterated its commitment to the principles of farm assurance, recognising the value assurance schemes play for its farmer and grower members and their vital role in giving access to key markets. Council also recognised the major role Red Tractor has played in achieving that since its formation in 2000, now appearing on over £15 billion of produce.
Within that, Council expressed, through a resolution, its concerns about the delivery of Red Tractor’s new bolt-on environmental module, the Greener Farms Commitment (GFC). Whilst recognising and embracing the increasing role of sustainability in farm assurance, Council members felt that more granular, technical and practical elements of the GFC should have been consulted on more widely before the module was unveiled.
NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw said: “Red Tractor has been a positive thing for our members and, indeed, is an organisation we helped establish for that very reason. We continue to believe that should be the case and the important thing now is for us to work to address the concerns Council has identified and go forward, together, to face the challenges the sector faces in the years ahead.
“We all accept that the roll-out of the GFC hasn’t been as any of us would have wished, but the issue is about procedures, not principles. We can and should work together to address those issues, get past this and move on for the benefit of farmers, growers, the wider supply chain and, crucially, consumers.”