Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase take-up by supermarkets of the Red Tractor Scheme.

Defra encourages membership of food assurance schemes by farmers. Such schemes can help to build consumer confidence and gain new market opportunities for producers who can comply with specific health, welfare and/or environmental standards.

We are working with third party assurance bodies, including Red Tractor, to increase the use of earned recognition. For example, welfare inspection selection processes have been adjusted to ensure that the likelihood of farmers who are members of certain accredited farm assurance or organic schemes being inspected is significantly reduced, and operational trials for new areas of recognition are underway.