Red Tractor’s Beef & Lamb Board met in Birmingham earlier this month. It was a great discussion and I wanted to share a quick summary of what we covered so that you know the latest as a Red Tractor Beef & Lamb member or Dairy member certified for beef.
Red Tractor’s communications team shared the latest on their work to improve the way information is shared with members on key subjects. The team are listening to feedback from members all the time and looking for ways to continue improving existing communications and to explore new routes using digital and face to face options. Across all boards my fellow chairs are sharing updates specific to their sector like this one. We want to ensure you have easy access to relevant and timely information.
I was delighted to see from last month’s Red Tractor Member Matters newsletter, how our sector is leading the way to explore ways to streamline how the Standards are presented. We are always looking at different ways we can reduce the administrative burden for members. The board talked about different ways we can continue this progress including through potential earned recognition of DEFRA AHW Pathway vet visits for example.
Red Tractor’s role in improving how we protect the environment was an important item on the meeting agenda. How should we best measure emissions? What is the most effective way to reduce agricultural pollution and contribute to improving water quality? We know that these are difficult questions, but we need to work hard to address them and be open about how we are doing. Red Tractor cannot solve these problems on its own, but the board discussed how Red Tractor can play an important role supporting the industry in these areas.
The board heard from guest speaker, Amy Jackson who last year completed a PhD examining public attitudes to farming at the University of Nottingham. Amy led an important discussion about how our industry needs to take ownership and action to re-establish trust with the general public. The board had an important conversation about the different ways we as an industry can try and achieve that and how Red Tractor can contribute.
I hope you found this quick working update useful. If you’re interested in the role of the Beef & Lamb Board there’s more information here.
Please feel free to contact us on memberhelp@redtractor.org.uk and 020 7630 3320 if you have any questions or concerns. We are happy to help.
Best regards, John
