Red Tractor’s sugar beet and cereals assurance standards combined with UK legislative requirements have achieved Silver level equivalence with SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) 2.0.
For the past eight years, all the sugar beet supplied to British Sugar has been Red Tractor farm assured.
By working together as an industry the two organisations are driving sustainable agriculture that promotes environmental protection, embraces creating a quality product and drives safety in the efficient production of sugar beet.
Laurence Matthews, Red Tractor’s Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Board Chairman, said: "The world’s biggest food and drink brands are scrutinising their supply chains more than ever before.
"It’s becoming imperative that companies such as British Sugar, who supply these brands, can demonstrate sustainable sourcing policies.
"Not only does this achievement mean that British Sugar continues to be a great supporter of sugar beet grown in the UK, it also demonstrates that Red Tractor’s growers produce a quality product to standards that major brands recognise as sustainable."
Simon Leeds, Grower Engagement Manager for British Sugar said: "This is great news for the UK sugar beet industry and recognises the outstanding work being achieved by our growers.
"At British Sugar we are proud of our sustainability track record – and will continue to drive our work to build efficient, productive and responsible value chains working with all our partners."
Red Tractor was established in 2000 and has grown to become the UK’s biggest farm and food standards scheme, covering all of animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection.
Around 3,400 growers supply British Sugar factories with 7.5 million tonnes of sugar beet each year, which it processes into over 1 million tonnes of sugar.
The UK sugar beet industry has focussed efforts towards minimising the use of inputs which has resulted in 90% reduced insecticides, 50% reduced active ingredients (pesticides) and 40% reduced nitrogen fertilisers.
95% of the UK crop is rain-fed with minimal effect on irrigation water supplies and application energy.
Over the past 10 years, British Sugar have invested over £300 million to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
