The chair of Red Tractor, Baroness (Lucy) Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, has announced that she will leave the organisation at the end of her 3-year term on 12 November 2020.

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Baroness Neville-Rolfe commented:

‘I have much enjoyed my time at Red Tractor and I believe it has made much progress over the last 3 years in achieving wider recognition of its certified standards covering food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. Its standards are leaders in the field internationally and together we have improved the rules and ensured better compliance.  We have also successfully navigated COVID.

I have always believed and made clear that upholding strong agricultural and food standards is in the best interests of British consumers, farmers and manufacturers. Recent comments suggesting I do not take that view  are wrong and have only gained credence by ignoring clear statements by me to the contrary.

In my view UK agricultural and food standards will be even more important post-Brexit. Over time I am sure standards will, rightly, become more rigorous.

I warmly thank Vice-Chairman Andrew Blenkiron and the rest of the Board and CEO Jim Moseley and all the staff for their support.

I hope and believe Red Tractor will have a successful future.’   

The Baroness caused outrage in the farming community by voting again Lord Curry's amendment which would have safeguarded UK farmers by ensuring that all agricultural and food imports had to meet the same high standards as British produce. Calls were issued for her resignation resulting in her decision to step down.