Download unanimous support for farm assurance

NEWSLETTER - january 2013
UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR Farm ASSURANCE
At Red Tractor Assurance (RTA) we are often
asked by our members why they need to be
a member of a farm assurance scheme and
why it is important. We asked the retailers if
they would like to provide a statement on RTA.
These are below and confirm their support
for the RTA schemes. Membership allows
farmers to supply all major markets and
“At Asda we place a very
strong emphasis on food
safety at every point in
the supply chain and from
field to fork the stringent
standards put in place under farm assurance
help us guarantee the safety and integrity
of the food we put on our shelves. That’s why
we’ve always supported the Red Tractor farm
assurance scheme which helps us give our
customers the reassurance that our supplier
farmers are operating to the very highest
standards in everything they do.”
customers, giving them the flexibility to
consider different marketing options at
any time.
We hope members will find this useful and
we will continue to work with both farmers
and retailers to ensure that what we do
continues to deliver for British Farming
and our consumers.
“We support Red Tractor
Assurance
Standards
and recognise them as
a foundation in our own
Select Farm standards.”
Steve McLean, Head of
Agriculture & Fisheries,
M&S
David Evans, Head of Agriculture, Morrisons
“100% of Aldi Fresh Chicken, Pork, Beef & Lamb
is Red Tractor Farm Assured all year-round. Our
shoppers can therefore trust that all of our fresh
meat has met strict standards
from farm to pack.”
Will Barstow, Fresh Meat
Category Director, Aldi Stores
“Red Tractor farm assurance is a
fundamental part of our sourcing
standards. It provides us with
reassurance that farmers meet key
requirements for traceability, food safety and
animal welfare and plays an important part in
our aim to double sales of British food by 2020.”
Pearce Hughes, Agricultural Development
Manager, Asda
“It is vital that UK farming has a
well respected and well recognised
system of farm assurance in place
to provide our customers with the
confidence and reassurance they demand that
their food is being produced to a uniform standard
with regard to food safety or animal welfare. It is
also important for the credibility of these schemes
that farms are independently audited on a regular
basis. We have supported the development of
the Red Tractor scheme from its very beginning;
as Waitrose grows there will be even greater
demand for Red Tractor accredited products to be
supplied to meet our customers needs.”
“Eleven and a half million people
shop in Morrisons stores every
week. Red Tractor Farm Assurance
helps us deliver a great message
to our customers about the broad
range of production standards, including animal
welfare, they can expect from assured British
farmers.”
“The provenance and quality of the
ingredients used in The Co-operative’s ownbrand products are important to us and our
customers, and we believe the Red Tractor
standard
reinforces
these key messages.”
Kate Jones, Head of
Product Development
& Farms, The Cooperative Food
Sue Lockhart, Head of Agriculture, Sainsbury
“We are British agriculture’s biggest customer
and we’re proud of all the hard working
farmers who ensure high levels of animal
welfare, food safety and good environmental
practice are maintained. We will continue
to support the Red Tractor scheme and
recognise the important part it plays in the
delivery of quality British produce.”
Angela Hughes, Technical Director of Food, Tesco
Duncan Sinclair, Agriculture Manager, Waitrose
SAINSBURY’S DROPS THE RED TRACTOR CONSUMER LOGO FROM RETAIL PACKS
RTA was extremely disappointed by the
recent decision by Sainsburys to phase out
the use of the Red Tractor consumer logo.
“This move will mean Sainsbury’s shoppers
will no longer have this independent
assurance on-pack,” said David Clarke,
RTA Chief Executive. “Whilst we are
reassured that Sainsbury’s will continue to
use the standards as the backbone of their
UK sourcing policy, it is frustrating that
they will not recognise this on pack.”
Red Tractor Assurance for Farms – Beef and Lamb Scheme
“Customers can clearly identify British
and show their support as the Union Flag
will continue to be clearly displayed on
Sainsbury’s British products,” said Sue
Lockhart, Sainsburys Head of Agriculture.
NEWSLETTER – january 2013