Red Tractor ad banned for misleading environmental claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Red Tractor, the UK's largest farm product certifier, was misleading the public and exaggerating the environmental benefits of its scheme in an advertisement that ran for two years.
The Complaint and The Ruling
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The Ad: Red Tractor's ad, which used the tagline "Your food is farmed with care when the Red Tractor is around," was challenged by the environmental charity River Action. River Action argued the ad implied that Red Tractor farms "ensure a high degree of environmental protection."
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ASA Finding: The ASA upheld the complaint after a two-year investigation, concluding that Red Tractor failed to produce "sufficient evidence" that its 45,000 certified farms complied with "basic" environmental legislation or had a positive environmental record. The ASA found the ad was "misleading" and "exaggerated" the programme’s benefits.
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Context: River Action cited a 2020 Environment Agency report, which indicated that Red Tractor farms were "not currently an indicator of good environmental results," based on breaches of environmental law over five years.
Red Tractor's Defence and Admission
Jim Mosley, CEO of Red Tractor, argued that the ASA's findings were "fundamentally flawed."
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Primary Focus: He contended that Red Tractor’s primary aim is food safety, animal welfare, and traceability, and that environmental guidelines are only a "small part" of the scheme.
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Environmental Compliance: Crucially, Mr. Moseley told the BBC that Red Tractor entirely delegates the enforcement of environmental laws to the Environment Agency. When asked if that meant Red Tractor does not know if its farms are complying with environmental legislation, he replied, "Correct."
Criticisms and Industry Reaction
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River Action's Stance: River Action applauded the decision, with Amy Fairman, head of campaigns, stating it shows that Red Tractor was "greenwashing" and "misleading the public and their suppliers." The charity warned supermarkets not to use the scheme, highlighting that agricultural pollution is a major environmental hazard, affecting 40% of rivers in 2022.
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Supermarkets: While some supermarkets previously referenced the environmental benefits of Red Tractor, when asked if they still stood by the emblem, they did not reply or referred the BBC to the British Retail Consortium. The Consortium stated that retailers "remain committed to working with Red Tractor."
In essence, the ruling clarifies that while the Red Tractor label guarantees certain standards for food safety and animal welfare, it does not guarantee high (or even basic) compliance with environmental legislation.
