A new television advertising campaign will launch later this year highlighting the difference between British produce and imported produce.
Red Tractor Assurance will have its own national television advertising campaign for the first time in its history.
Brexit has brought the future of UK food and farming into sharp focus, and with the outcome of trade deals and tariffs yet to be decided, it is possible that domestic farm-assured produce could come under even more pressure from imported food on the supermarket shelves.
Farmers have a big concern with allowing lower-standard food imports to gain access into the UK, effectively undercutting home produce made to higher standards.
Earlier this year, Defra Secretary Michael Gove admitted that if the UK undermined regulation and welfare standards then British farmers will no longer be at the top of the value chain.
Differentiating a UK product from an import in terms of its production standards, origin, traceability and safety have never been more important, according to Red Tractor Chief Executive Jim Moseley.
He said: “The new campaign will focus on the reassurance that Red Tractor brings to consumers through its rigorous checks against the high standards of British agriculture.”
“Red Tractor has a very broad consumer following, from busy parents to time-rich foodies, so our campaign will launch with national TV to achieve the greatest reach and awareness with our consumers.
"We need more shoppers to know more about the food they are buying to increase active sourcing of assured food."
Understanding the standards
The announcement follows a comprehensive market research exercise looking at what primary shoppers know about the on-pack Red Tractor logo.
It highlighted that shoppers were twice as likely to purchase a Red Tractor product if they understood more about the standards behind it.
The exact dates of when the campaign will air are yet to be confirmed, but more details will emerge in the coming months.
It will be Red Tractor's first TV campaign, and publicly raising the profile of it will spark even closer scrutiny of the scheme.
So-called ‘exposes’ which paint a negative picture of assured food production – particularly in the livestock sectors – are becoming a common tactic which Mr Moseley has warned his members to be wary of.
Mr Moseley said: “The positive reputation of British farming is well deserved, built on decades of public trust.
“However, one negative story about a farm that is not complying to assurance standards 365 days a year can quickly spread to millions of consumers and undermine that trust.
“Now is the time for every member to do their bit and protect the integrity of the logo.”
