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42-707: The Red Tractor scheme was launched in 2000 by the National Farmers Union of England and Wales , with the logo originally known as the Little Red Tractor, and also the British Farm Standard. It was launched on 13 June 2000. Around the time of the launch, the NFU found in a survey that 70% of the public had no idea what type of food their local farmers tended to produce. In 2005, the organisation kept its Red Tractor quality mark, but

84-524: A NFU Council member—stood as candidates. Tim Benntt successfully defeated Derek Mead. In late 2005, Derek Mead along with Farmers for Action chairman David Handley , established the pressure group Better NFU over what they saw as the failures of the NFU's leadership. Better NFU also received support from Zac Goldsmith and Robin Page . Following, the pressure groups' formation David Handley announced he would challenge sitting NFU President Tim Bennett for

126-464: A Red Tractor approved farm that supplies Costa Coffee. The animals were handled roughly, with one being hit in the udder and others being slapped or having their heads pushed. In March 2023, footage emerged showing farmers kicking and slapping pigs at a Red tractor assured farm. The animals were being cannibalised alive with farmers taking up to 13 hours to remove dead ones from sheds. Bins were filled with rotting pig corpses. In August 2023, chickens at

168-542: A Red Tractor assured farm were found "collapsing in agony, deformed and dying" at farms supplying the Co-op supermarket chain. Hidden cameras showed workers tossing hundreds of dead chickens into bins, in one case laughing and saying "I’ve never seen so many maggots in my life". In November 2023, animal rights charity Viva captured footage at a Red Tractor assured dairy farm in Wales. Corpses of cows were seen being dragged outside

210-596: A farm that supplies Sainsbury's. In late 2021, undercover footage was shot on a Red Tractor assured farm by the BBC 's investigative documentary series Panorama . Farmers were filmed beating cows with spades, dragging lame cows out of sheds using tractors and separating calves from their mothers. In May 2022, the animal rights charity Viva! placed hidden cameras in a Red Tractor assured duck farm operated by Quack Duck Eggs. Released footage showed workers abusing ducks, as well as infestations of rodents and maggots. In response to

252-542: A number of outreach events each year to raise awareness and support of its current campaigns. Viva! enjoys the patronage of numerous entertainers, including Martin Shaw , Heather Mills , Michael Mansfield KC , Jerome Flynn , Hayley Mills and Stella McCartney . In 2009, Viva! criticised supermarket chain Tesco for turning 5,000 tonnes of meat that had passed its sell-by date into electricity by burning it to avoid wasting

294-609: A protest in London. The archives of the NFU are deposited with the Rural History Centre at Reading University . The NFU is registered as an employer association with the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers' Associations . Despite potential confusion due to "Union" being in the NFU's name, it is not a trade union. The NFU is governed by its constitution and rules, which state that

336-518: A time when farming was going through the longest and deepest depression in its history, as imports of cheap grain and frozen meat flooded in from abroad. The NFU stood six candidates in the 1918 general election , none of whom were elected. In the 1922 general election , it stood three unsuccessful NFU candidates under its own name, and sponsored four successful Conservative Party candidates. It again sponsored Conservative candidates in 1923 and 1935 elections, but has not done so since. Campbell

378-888: A “last resort” antibiotic used to treat serious illnesses in humans". According to an internal government report seen by The Times, Red Tractor farms were 'more likely' to pollute the environment than those that were not part of the scheme. In July 2018 several UK media publications revealed serious cases of animal abuses at several farms that had passed recent inspections by the Assured Food Standards scheme. In June 2019, three poultry farms in Lincolnshire belonging to Moy Park were found to be keeping animals in "utterly dismal conditions" where chicken carcasses were left to rot in sheds holding up to 30,000 birds. The farms, which supply meat to major British supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's , were all certified under

420-681: Is Aled Jones who has held the role since 2022. NFU Cymru is based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells . NFU Cyrmu nominates one of the two employers' representatives on the seven-member Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales . The British Agriculture Bureau ( BAB ) is the joint office of the NFU, the National Farmers' Union of Scotland and Ulster Farmers' Union in Brussels . The BAB lobbies for

462-743: Is a registered charity. Viva! is an animal rights' campaigning organisation, working on issues such as factory farming and slaughter and is based in Bristol , with a branch office in Poland. Campaigns include End Factory Farming, Eat Green, Foie-Gras free Britain, Exotic Meat, Ban the Farrowing Crate, Dark Side of Dairy and youth campaigns including The Big Coverup. Campaigns in 2018 included an investigation into Hogwood Pig Farm in Warwickshire, and Scary Dairy's "Trash" campaign, highlighting

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504-456: Is to be welcomed," former Viva! spokesman and campaign manager Justin Kerswell said, adding that individuals should make up their own mind on whether or not they would consume it themselves, because 'vegetarianism and veganism aren't religions'. In 2022, Viva! ran a TV advert which showed a couple ordering pulled pork takeaway from a company called "Just Meat." When the takeaway arrives, it is

546-601: The Cameron–Clegg government , in 2013 the government prepared to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board —the body which had been responsible for regulating farm workers' wages. As pressure grew to maintain the board, the NFU lobbied in support of abolishing it. The government and the NFU were successful and in 2013 the board was abolished. In the same year, the NFU campaigned against the imposition of any cap on subsidies that farmers could receive. In 2016,

588-697: The Ethical Consumer Research Association published a report Understanding the NFU - an English Agribusiness Lobby Group . The report described the NFU as promoting policies that benefit big agribusinesses at the expense of farm workers pay and conditions, the environment, and animal welfare . During the Brexit referendum , the NFU Council voted overwhelmingly to endorse the Remain campaign , but did not actively campaign on

630-584: The Liberal Party in the 1906 UK general election , many farm owners took revenge against farmers suspected of radical views or of Liberal sympathies. On 20 July 1906, the Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers & Small Holders Union was formed in an attempt to combat these retributions, and further renew unionisation efforts among farmworkers. Further angered in their opposition to potential land reform by

672-744: The Liberal government , the Central Land Association (CLA) was formed to represent landlords ' interests against their farmers, and against the Liberal government. In 1904, the Lincolnshire Farmers' Union ( LFU ) was founded to represent tenant farmers, in part against both increasingly unionised farmworkers, and against landlords. On 10 December 1908, a meeting was held at the Smithfield Show to discuss

714-515: The Lincolnshire Farmers' Union ( LFU ) which was founded in 1904. Over the next four years, similar farmers' organisations were established in neighbouring counties. In 1908, these organisations formed the current National Farmers' Union. Colin Campbell was its first president. The organisation has been led by Tom Bradshaw as president since 2024. The late 19th century coincided with increased struggle between three main groups: The rise of

756-577: The labour movement saw farmworkers organise agricultural trade unions such as the Lincolnshire Labour League and the Warwickshire Agricultural Labourers Union . These unions initially achieved modest victories and growth, but a series of unsuccessful attempts to use collective action resulted in the decline and dissolution of early farmworkers' unions. In response to the victory of

798-948: The British Agriculture Bureau to represent their interests in the European Economic Community and later the European Union . In 2000, with the National Farmers' Union of Scotland , the Ulster Farmers' Union , and other farming and food organisations, the NFU founded the Assured Food Standards company which administers the Red Tractor food quality mark. In 2003 Ben Gill stood down as NFU president. Both deputy president Tim Bennett , and Derek Mead—a founding member of Farmers for Action (FFA) as well as

840-611: The British farming industry in regards to European Union policy. List of presidents of the NFU since 1945: Barnard was also sponsored by the National Party . Blundell, Bruford, Lamb and Shepperson stood for the Conservative Party. All candidates stood for the Conservative Party. Both candidates stood for the Conservative Party. in the 1935 general election, two candidates were sponsored and elected for

882-425: The Conservative Party. Viva! (organisation) Viva! (formerly Vegetarians' International Voice for Animals ) is a British animal rights group, which focuses on promoting veganism . It was founded by Juliet Gellatley in 1994. Viva! carries out undercover investigations to expose the abuse of factory farmed animals and produces information on how to go vegan, including recipes and shopping guides. It

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924-412: The NFU shall maintain a number of bodies which are responsible for the governance of the NFU. These include the NFU Council, Governance Board, Policy Board, National Commodity Boards, Regional Commodity Boards, an Audit and Remuneration Committee and Legal Board and Regional Boards. The NFU is led by its president (currently Tom Bradshaw since 2024). The position is elected by the 92 member NFU Council,

966-576: The NFU's governing body . The NFU is closely associated with the insurance company NFU Mutual . Prior to its abolition in 2013, the National Farmers' Union nominated eight employers' representatives to the Agricultural Wages Board of England and Wales. NFU Cymru is the constituent Welsh branch of the NFU. It was formed in 1999 in response to Welsh devolution and the formation of the Welsh Senedd . NFU Cymru's current president

1008-444: The Red Tractor label. Hidden cameras captured goats so lame they were unable to walk and piles of dead goats left to rot outside a Delamere Dairy farm. In August 2022, industry whistle-blowers claimed millions of Red Tractor assured factory farm chickens had "died slowly of heat exhaustion" after inadequate ventilation and cooling during the 2022 United Kingdom heat wave . The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it

1050-402: The Red Tractor scheme after undercover footage showed sick pigs being left to die, painful conditions that had been left untreated and others with acute malnutrition. In September 2020, an investigation into a chicken farm that supplied Tesco found fast growing birds that were in chronic pain and others that could barely stand up. Avara Foods , which owns the farm, said an internal investigation

1092-464: The Red Tractor scheme. In August 2019, Hogwood Farm in Warwickshire was suspended from the Red Tractor scheme after videos obtained by animal rights charity Viva! emerged showing "terrified pigs struck with metal riding crops and hand tools" and "dead pigs dumped into rotting piles". Tesco suspended their relationship with the farm. In August 2020 a pig farm in Leicestershire was dropped from

1134-461: The Red Tractor standards before food can be labelled with the Red Tractor logo. The Red Tractor Farm Assurance scheme is divided in different sectors: Processed Vegetable Growers' Association Red Tractor cover an extensive range of products, including meat and poultry, dairy products, breakfast cereals, and fruit and vegetables. Certification bodies the Red Tractor schemes work with include: In 2009, around £10 billion of products were sold bearing

1176-477: The complex including one that was half-eaten. An animal welfare scientist who viewed parts of the footage said some of the allegations were ‘concerning’ and ‘common to the dairy farming industry’. National Farmers Union of England and Wales The National Farmers' Union ( NFU ) is an employer association representing farming and growing businesses within England and Wales . The NFU originated as

1218-526: The dairy industry's forgotten victims: male calves. Following on from its success with the former biannual national "Incredible Vegan Roadshow" in London, Viva! now organises six annual festivals across the UK designed to help people become vegetarian or vegan. These are: Bristol Viva! Vegan Festival, Cardiff Viva! Vegan Festival, Swansea Viva! Vegan Festival, Stockport Viva! Vegan Festival, Birmingham Viva! Vegan Festival and Coventry Viva! Vegan Festival. Viva! also do

1260-560: The footage Co-op Food suspended the farm as a supplier. In June 2022, an as yet unknown disease emerged in pigs at a Red Tractor assured farm in Norfolk. Covert drone footage captured by energy firm Ecotricity showed farm workers shooting at disease ridden pigs with many animals dying in front of each other. In July 2022, an article published in The Independent alleged goats where being subjected to "violence and neglect" under

1302-481: The formation of a national organisation formed from the LFU. The meeting resulted in the formation of the National Farmers' Union . By 1913, it had 20,000 members—a majority being tenant-farmers—and excluded landowners but allowed owner-occupying farmers. The NFU's first president, Colin Campbell , worked to get new branches off the ground, encourage membership and establish the NFU's credibility with government, at

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1344-488: The issue. In the lead-up to the referendum, the NFU commissioned a report by Wageningen University which found that two of three Brexit scenarios could increase farm-gate prices. In 2018, the NFU Council elected Minette Batters , deputy president of the NFU since 2014, as the NFU's president. She defeated the only other candidate, Guy Smith, who became her deputy. She stepped down as president in February 2024 and

1386-531: The logo. A royalty fee is charged to bear the logo. The union flag displayed as part of the Red Tractor logo gives a guarantee that the produce was farmed, processed and packed in the United Kingdom. To qualify as "farmed", animals must be born, reared and slaughtered in the UK. This is in contrast to a simple union flag logo without the Red Tractor, which is often used to simply denote UK based processing. A BBC investigation in 2013 revealed that there

1428-425: The meat. Viva! argued converting out-of-date meat into heat with CO 2 as byproduct was not environmentally sustainable, but Tesco defended its decision. In 2012, Viva! stated that it favoured the development of cultured meat . "Certainly, with over 950 million land animals slaughtered in the UK each year, and the vast majority of them factory farmed in awful conditions, anything that saves animals from suffering

1470-516: The position. Handley said wished to see the NFU be more proactive and democratic, while his opponents feared he would turn the NFU into a larger version of the FFA. Deputy President Peter Kendall also announced his candidacy. Peter Kendall won ahead of both in the 2006 leadership contest. Handley would describe Kendall as more collaborative than prior NFU Presidents. As a part of the UK quango reforms by

1512-791: Was "deeply concerned" about the issue and that the sheer scale of the mortalities had prompted an investigation by officials. In October 2022, The Belfast Telegraph reported a Red Tractor assured pig farm was facing 3 counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. An inspection by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs found conditions to be unsanitary with pigs living in their own feces and several dead piglets that had succumbed to bacteria infections. In December 2022, footage shared with The Independent showed pigs that were "given electric shocks, hit, kicked and thrown as they were loaded onto lorries" at several Red Tractor assured farms. In January 2023, an investigation by Viva! found cows that were emaciated, lame and struggling to walk on

1554-714: Was a less than 1 per cent chance that a pack of Tesco pork chops labelled as British came from the British Isles. The mark does not offer any guarantee the products have been produced in an environmentally sustainable way. The scheme's website notes that farmers only use products like pesticides and fertilisers if this is "absolutely necessary" for crop health. In July 2022, a joint investigation by The Guardian and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism tested several Red Tractor approved pork products including joints, chops and mince. Ten percent were found to be infected with enterococci bacteria "that has showed resistance to

1596-549: Was carried out which "didn't highlight any welfare concerns". In March 2021, Dispatches (TV programme) went undercover at a Moy Park chicken site. They found birds with "horrific injuries" and guidance issued to kill chicks deemed "lame" or "too small". Over 4000 chicks died or were culled during the 11 days of filming. In June 2021, footage was filmed at a pig farm in Yorkshire showing dying pigs left to rot among living and workers kicking animals too crippled to stand. The farm

1638-442: Was removed from the Red Tractor schema and dropped by Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons. In July 2021, secret cameras captured chickens that had died of thirst and dead birds left to rot at three Red Tractor approved sites. The chickens were being supplied for major British retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury, Lidl and KFC. In October 2021, the animal rights charity Viva! found "dead and wounded" turkeys amongst living ones at

1680-489: Was renamed from "British Farm Standard" to the "Assured Food Standards". The company is limited by guarantee and permitted to operate without the word "limited" in its company name. In April 2009, Cains Brewery of Liverpool produced the first lager, Cains Export, to be accredited by the Red Tractor. Since June 2010, Carling cans of lager have displayed the logo, as the barley used has been certified. All stages of food production are independently certified (inspected) to

1722-425: Was succeeded as NFU President in 1921 by Richard Robbins , an employers' representative on the Agricultural Wages Board . On 3 December 1955, 12 Welsh members of the NFU left and formed the rival Farmers' Union of Wales . Verley Merchant, the NFU's Welsh Secretary, responded to the formation by saying "We will smash you in three months". In 1972, the NFU, alongside other farming employers' associations, set up

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1764-529: Was succeeded by Tom Bradshaw without any challengers. In the October 2024 budget , the Labour government announced reforms to inheritance tax which revoke the exemptions for agricultural estates. From April 2026, these estates will be taxed at 20% (half the standard rate) but the first £1   million of the property value will continue to be exempt. The NFU opposed the reforms, and responded by organising

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