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The publication of the second and final Farm Assurance Review (FAR) monitoring report marks an important moment for us. Since the initial report was published in January 2025, the Farm Assurance Review and subsequent progress reports have already achieved something valuable. They have created momentum that has challenged long-standing issues and, crucially, brought stakeholders together around a shared recognition that farm assurance is needed, but that the status quo wasn’t working.
But, as ever, progress in reports must also translate into progress on the ground to deliver meaningful change for our members.
We recognise that this type of change is underway, and the report highlights positive progress. In Scotland in particular, there is constructive engagement and practical steps towards simplifying standards and improving delivery, including work by QMS to streamline cattle and sheep standards by around 15% in an effort to reduce duplication and improve usability for producers.
Yet we know that member trust remains fragile. For too long, farm assurance has felt like something imposed on farmers, rather than developed with them. That disconnect has eroded confidence in a system that should, at its best, add value, provide clarity and underpin market access. The report underlines that there is still progress to be made in this space, and it would be unrealistic to expect a quick fix. We continue to emphasise the core principle that assurance should be done with farmers, not to them. There are pockets of good practice, including farmer representation in scheme governance, but more could still be done.
Duplication, inconsistent inspections and administrative overhead remain defining concerns for farmers and growers, despite the Review’s clear recommendation that simplifying and reducing audits should be a priority. We will continue to press for a “tell us once” approach to data, harnessing the opportunities technology can provide. But this has to be done right, it must reduce burden, not add to it.
Another longstanding challenge for the whole supply chain is how farm assurance delivers demonstrable value at farm level, whether through market access, price premiums or reduced regulatory burden. Without that, there is a risk that assurance becomes a compliance exercise rather than a meaningful tool for strengthening farm businesses. At the same time, a careful balance must be struck to avoid “mission creep”. Farm assurance has a clear and important role in ensuring food safety, traceability and integrity. Expanding it to absorb wider policy or retailer demands, particularly where those demands are unfunded, risks undermining the system.
That is not to say assurance should stand still. The conversation around environmental credentials and how they are valued remains fragmented, with no clear solution. Clarity and coordination are essential. Without a coherent, industry-led approach, there is a real risk that additional requirements simply increase burden without delivering meaningful outcomes. We will work with key stakeholders to help shape this, but it must be done in coordination across the supply chain.
This was a point echoed by all
four UK farming unions this week, with shared recognition that environmental reporting must have a clear purpose, deliver genuine value and involve farmers and growers from the outset.
What happens next?
With the formal review process concluding, there is a risk that momentum could be lost. The next phase is arguably the most important, how do the recommendations translate into delivery from here? While the direction is clear, the task now is to ensure that responsibility is taken, progress is monitored and commitments translate into tangible change.
This will require sustained engagement from us, assurance schemes, governments and the wider supply chain. The FAR process has created a genuine opportunity, a chance to reset farm assurance into something simpler, fairer and more effective. We remain committed to ensuring that opportunity is not lost, and that farm assurance evolves into a system that genuinely works for farmers, growers and the wider food chain.