High levels of trust in UK food, Red Tractor survey reveals
© GNP British consumers continue to place high levels of trust in UK food and farming, but most admit they do not fully understand how food is produced, according to the latest Trust in Food Index.
The YouGov study, commissioned by Red Tractor and Grounded Research, surveyed more than 3,000 consumers on their perceptions of food quality, safety, traceability and supply chains.
It found that 94% of consumers trust UK food, while 80% trust British farmers.
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Confidence in imported food was lower, with more than a third (37%) saying they were not confident imports meet UK production standards.
Despite this, many consumers acknowledged significant gaps in their understanding of how food is produced.
Some 93% said they lacked knowledge of at least one aspect of food production, while 87% reported feeling confused when making purchasing decisions.
The research also highlighted the influence of household budgets on shopping habits, particularly among younger consumers and women.
While British food and high production standards remain important considerations, cost pressures are prompting many shoppers to trade down or seek discounted products.
Philippa Wiltshire, Red Tractor deputy chief executive, said trust alone was not enough.
“If consumers are going to back British farming, they need clearer understanding of what sits behind the food they buy, and the standards farmers are working to deliver.”
The findings reflect concerns raised by farmers, many of whom believe assurance schemes have an important role in maintaining consumer confidence, but want stronger advocacy for British food.
Farmer sentiment
A separate Sentiment Survey has found that farmer opinion towards Red Tractor is improving, with fewer holding strongly negative views than in previous surveys, and 55% of farmers believing assurance schemes play an important role in building consumer confidence.
However, concerns remain around audit burden, the influence of retailers and whether the organisation is doing enough to champion farmers.
Jo Miller, Red Tractor’s director of communications and engagement, said overall sentiment towards Red Tractor had improved by 14 percentage points since 2024, but acknowledged farmers wanted stronger representation.
“Farmers and growers see building and maintaining consumer confidence as one of the key roles of assurance, and they’re looking to Red Tractor to advocate for them more in return for the efforts that they make to meet the robust standards that we set.”
Grain import standards
Asked whether Red Tractor should do more to address concerns about imported grain entering supply chains without meeting the same requirements as UK-grown wheat, Ms Wiltshire told Farmers Weekly the organisation recognised farmers’ frustrations.
She pointed to recommendations from the independent Farm Assurance Review calling for greater transparency around imported grain standards.
“The Farm Assurance Review actually did conclude a recommendation around this area for more transparency around standards for imported grain, which we fully support,” she said.
Ms Wiltshire said Red Tractor’s focus remained on ensuring its standards delivered value for members through an ongoing review of farm assurance requirements, adding that industry stakeholders were sharing more information on import requirements.
Further work on standards equivalence by the AHDB is expected later this year.
