As we start to come into the early throws of harvesting - I am talking more of the soft and top fruit than the more obvious combineable crop that you see along in the fields from the roadside - maybe it is time for this blog to focus on the marketing side of farming.
The Red Tractor with the tractor made with the upper case letter F turned through 90 degrees anti-clockwise was first used in 2000 by the National Farmer's Union as a sign of quality and the provenance of the food as well as creating a form of confidence for the shopper. It is a sign that guarantees quality, safe food that is good to eat. The reasons for choosing products that exhibit the Red Tractor include food hygiene, animal welfare, protection of the environment, food origins, rigorous standards, traceability, independence and integrity - greater details of these values can be found here and here.
The success of the Red Tractor as a marketing tool is described in an article by The Grocer (Michael Baker), May 2010 - the recognition of the logo has moved from 30% (2008) to 55% (2010) and is seen with the similar recognition as other logos like Fairtrade, Lion Eggs, MSC and Soil Association.
A more recent (April 2012) article by Isabel Davies for the Farmers Weekly Interactive reviewed a survey for the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board. 2,169 shoppers were questioned with 1,558 being primary shoppers. 64% were influenced by the Red Tractor logo, this was a 9% increase on 2011. 33% of the shopper interviewed referenced "food safety and traceability", which is what the Red Tractor logo helps the consumer to identify.
Have you found as a consumer or a producer that the Red Tractor has been a benefit to you?
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