The Red Tractor label is the UK’s largest animal welfare certification scheme and, in their own words, is supposed to assure us that the ‘animals have been well cared for’. It is a huge selling point for farmers and a source of reassurance for consumers, with the sticker of approval proudly displayed on just about every animal product that comes from a British farm. However, what many people are not aware of is that the Red Tractor scheme was set up by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and it is owned by the NFU and other industry bodies such as Dairy UK.
