The board of Red Tractor has announced plans to introduce a new environment module into its farm assurance scheme.
In a statement, Red Tractor said it has been working on the environment module since 2020, with the new “Greener Farms Commitment” (GFC) to be available from 1 April 2024.
Participation in the scheme is “voluntary” and it will enable farmers to make commitments and track their own progress across five key areas – carbon foot-printing; soil management; nutrient management; waste management and biodiversity.
The GFC will be administered by Red Tractor directly, and will require farmers to register a plan for progress that is unique to their circumstances.
A dedicated Development Advisory Panel is being set up to “oversee the detail, operation, and evolution of the GFC”.
According to Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley, the GFC is a unique opportunity to produce a common industry approach to environmental issues.
“It gives Red Tractor farmers a new way of differentiating their product and a consistent framework to talk about their environmental credentials. The GFC is designed to protect farmers from future audit demands, costs and complexity,” he said.
Mixed reaction
However, the announcement has been met with a mixed reaction. While it included supportive quotes from four major UK retailers, there was no mention of farm organisations, who don’t seem to have been widely consulted in the development of the GFC to date.
It also remains unclear how it will work in NI, where some farmers are in Red Tractor schemes, but the likes of the beef and lamb scheme is “mutually recognised”, which allows it to carry the Red Tractor logo.
NI is also currently in the middle of a major soil nutrient health scheme and will soon be rolling out widespread carbon auditing of farms.
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The board of Red Tractor has announced plans to introduce a new environment module into its farm assurance scheme.
In a statement, Red Tractor said it has been working on the environment module since 2020, with the new “Greener Farms Commitment” (GFC) to be available from 1 April 2024.
Participation in the scheme is “voluntary” and it will enable farmers to make commitments and track their own progress across five key areas – carbon foot-printing; soil management; nutrient management; waste management and biodiversity.
The GFC will be administered by Red Tractor directly, and will require farmers to register a plan for progress that is unique to their circumstances.
A dedicated Development Advisory Panel is being set up to “oversee the detail, operation, and evolution of the GFC”.
According to Red Tractor CEO, Jim Moseley, the GFC is a unique opportunity to produce a common industry approach to environmental issues.
“It gives Red Tractor farmers a new way of differentiating their product and a consistent framework to talk about their environmental credentials. The GFC is designed to protect farmers from future audit demands, costs and complexity,” he said.
Mixed reaction
However, the announcement has been met with a mixed reaction. While it included supportive quotes from four major UK retailers, there was no mention of farm organisations, who don’t seem to have been widely consulted in the development of the GFC to date.
It also remains unclear how it will work in NI, where some farmers are in Red Tractor schemes, but the likes of the beef and lamb scheme is “mutually recognised”, which allows it to carry the Red Tractor logo.
NI is also currently in the middle of a major soil nutrient health scheme and will soon be rolling out widespread carbon auditing of farms.
Read more
Farmers fear income hit from green policies
Details of new FQAS rules published
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