At a time of extensive speculation about increased imports as a result of trade deals, new research commissioned by Red Tractor reveals that 94 per cent of UK consumers trust food produced in the UK, more than other countries around the world.
Nine in ten people (90%) want to see more food produced in the UK. Meanwhile just around a third of people say they trust food produced in the US (33%) and India (31%) – a steep decline from the Index’s 2023 findings of 74 per cent and 62 per cent respectively.
Many people believe these countries have lower animal welfare standards than the UK. Nearly three out of five Brits (57%) believe the US has lower standards than our own, potentially causing concern about products entering the UK market – up from 46 per cent in 2023.
The higher level of trust in food is due to a number of factors, with rising confidence across all aspects of UK food production and assurance. 90 per cent of adults now believe that food produced in the UK is safe [2024: 83%, 2023: 72%], 88 per cent say it is good quality [2024: 81%, 2023: 73%], and 86 per cent are confident that UK food is traceable through the supply chain [2024: 86%, 2023: 64%].
Drivers of trust in UK food
The UK’s record on animal welfare is another key driver of this trust, with more than four in five people (83%) recognising the UK’s high animal welfare standards as the reason to trust homegrown food.
Britain’s farmers are the trusted guardians of our weekly shop with 88 per cent of consumers having trust in them, followed closely by assurance schemes (79%).
When asked about which group is the most responsible for ensuring food is safe and good quality in the UK, food assurance and inspection schemes came out top, followed by the government and farmers.
The findings, which draw on research from over 2,000 UK consumers, form part of Red Tractor’s annual “Trust in Food Index”, first produced in 2021 and designed to provide the most comprehensive assessment of British consumer attitudes to food.
Alistair Mackintosh, Chair of Red Tractor, said, “The world leading standards to which British farmers operate sets us apart from our international competitors. It’s this dedication to quality, safety and animal welfare that underpins the trust consumers place in British food – and it’s something our farmers continue to earn every day through their hard work and high standards. The results from the survey highlight the value that UK shoppers place in trusting UK-produced food.
“As discussions continue around opening the UK market to US beef imports, we must be clear: our priority should be championing British produce – reared to world-leading standards and independently assured through third-party assurance schemes like Red Tractor, reassuring shoppers that items have gone through rigorous checks before reaching the supermarket.”
25 years of Red Tractor
These findings come as Red Tractor celebrates 25 years since the creation of Red Tractor as a cross-industry initiative to restore trust in British food and farming. To mark its 25th anniversary, Red Tractor will be thanking its members and licensed businesses for their commitment to British food and farming standards and their contribution to the historic turnaround in domestic and global trust in British food. A new consumer marketing campaign, planned for later in the year, will also celebrate the milestone.