WE have all learnt a lot about our country, our supply chains and ourselves during the past four months.

When reflecting on how the industry has reacted to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear to see how resilient farmers and farming businesses are.

Not only did they carry on feeding the nation, but they did so while dealing with many changes to their day-to-day lives and businesses.

The introduction of remote assessments to replace physical inspections at the end of March is one example.

I’m delighted to report that more than 8,000 members have completed remote assessments so far, with thousands more in the pipeline.

The change from having a physical visit to a live streamed audit is quite significant, but it was necessary for the farm assurance chain to remain robust. This innovative solution meets all UKAS and Food Standards Agency requirements to ensure the supply chain remains secure and high quality, traceable British produce is always available to consumers.

Through a combination of live streaming and the option to upload documents to the Red Tractor Portal - a confidential online filing system - beforehand, remote assessments have given assessors the ability to have ‘virtual eyes’ on farm.

This has allowed farmers to complete their assessments to gain or maintain their assurance status throughout this unprecedented period.

More than 2,200 members are utilising the portal, and nine out of ten members say it’s helpful and easy to use. I’ve been pleased to hear that farmers who didn’t opt to use it this time would consider using it next time.

We recognise that the use of technology is a challenge for some of our members – using live-streaming apps and uploading to the Red Tractor portal for the first time does take some getting used to for some, while being second nature for others.

And then there is, of course, the challenge of mobile connectivity in rural areas which will be a source of constant frustration for so many.

As a result, Red Tractor and its certification bodies have canvased views from farmers who have found parts of the remote assessment process difficult to make improvements.

We’ve continued to test the platforms and systems, and respond to user feedback to deliver a robust regime for farmers.

We’ve also developed work-arounds such as offline video recording, and offered advice and resources to ease apprehension.

But it’s important to recognise that for the vast majority the remote assessment has been a huge success.

In completing more than 8,000 remote assessments (at the time of writing) we have delivered a solution to a problem that came around the corner so quickly that no-one had time to see it before it hit.

Thanks to technology, the excellent work of our certification bodies and the resilience of farmers we have ensured that we continue to have a secure and traceable supply chain.

Increasingly our farmers are recognising the benefits of remote assessments too. Not only as a viable solution for now, but as a real asset for the future – helping to overcome some of the geographic and biosecurity challenges farmers often face.

As we move towards a semblance of normality, with the relaxing of travel restrictions, it is important that we take a sensible, measured and sustainable approach to how we deliver our inspection regimes for the health and wellbeing of our members and inspectors.

From early July, Red Tractor began a phased roll-out of physical inspections on farms – principally catering for new applicants wishing to become assured, those who have been identified as a poorer performer as part of Red Tractor’s risk-based approach, and those farms for whom live streaming is not a credible option due to connectivity or technology issues.

Most inspections will continue to be conducted remotely, but now that inspections have returned to being compulsory, it is expected that most members will opt to use the online Portal for the paper-based reporting element of assessments.

As CEO, Jim oversees Assured Food Standards, managing the team with a particular interest in regulatory and enforcement body liaison.