Independent review of farm assurance schemes
Our Chair, Simon Conway, attended a meeting with the NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board this April to represent the views of British Tomato Growers’ Association (BTGA) members regarding the commission of on farm audits.
This has come as the NFU and AHDB have come together to jointly commission an independent view of farm assurance schemes to make sure they are fit for purpose. The review, which will seek to capture views from across the whole industry, including farmers, growers, merchants and processors, will examine:
How farm assurance can deliver value back to scheme members.
How standards are developed to meet the evolving needs of members, the markets they serve, sector diversity and in appreciation of the global marketplace.
How assurance members are engaged with (including the development of standards), inspected and how technology is used in assurance now and in future.
How assurance schemes can and should fit with regulation and government schemes to best serve members.
The goal is to simplify required audits and reduce the burden on growers. Officers have been appointed to conduct the review and will be out interviewing growers for their feedback on the above points, alongside delivery of a desk top review benchmarking the audits against each other to identify any duplication.
Simon will be attending further sessions with the NFU and feeding into this process until the report is published at the end of the year.
If you have any queries, please get in touch with nat.key@britishtomatoes.co.uk.