The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB) cereals and oilseeds sector council has agreed to support a research project to help inform future discussions regarding farm assurance and standards for imported combinable crops.

The work is in response to recommendations published in the Farm Assurance Review.

Analysts at AHDB are set to look at the existing standards for imported grain, as well as the legislative requirements involved, with supporting insight from the wider industry.

The purpose of the research is to help inform the industry and government on how assurance currently works domestically and on imports, and to identify opportunities to further support the sector.

As part of the Farm Assurance Review, AHDB, in consultation with industry, was asked to consider a new approach for combinable crops and assess the standards for imported food.

According to AHDB, the research will be published in four phases between January 2026 and October 2026.

The focus of these phases will be:

Identifying the differences between farm assurance systems in the UK, their associated standards, and government legislation;
The legislative requirements for domestic and imported grain;
How farm assurance facilities and delivers legislative and contract requirements for the supply chain, as well as looking at how standards differ for imports to the UK;
How the UK could meet legislative and contractual requirements in Farm Assurance was adapted, or did not exist.

AHDB sector council chair, Tom Clarke said: "This project demonstrates AHDB’s commitment to ensuring there is a meaningful and insightful research paper into Farm Assurance to the benefit of Cereals and Oilseeds growers and the wider supply chain.

“The sector council are also fully committed to providing levy payers with the best possible understanding of how assurance in the cereals and oilseeds sector currently works and the potential for making improvements that benefit our industry,” Clarke added.

Published in January 2025, a Farm Assurance Review report concluded that farm assurance is critical to the UK farming industry’s future and is delivering necessary assurances on quality to consumers.

But the current schemes must make some fundamental changes to address growing frustration among farmers in how it is delivered, according to the report.

The report had been commissioned jointly by the UK’s farming unions and AHDB and given a wholly independent brief.

Nine strategic recommendations are contained with the publication.

The Farm Assurance Review report came about following growing concern from some farmer levy payers over how farm assurance schemes operate and the value they deliver.

These include the scope and purpose of some assurance schemes and the relationship between assurance standards and legislation.

Farm assurance in the UK developed in the 1990s to give consumers confidence that food and feed is safe, traceable, and of a defined standard.

Products branded with assurance marks are now seen by some consumers as a sign of quality.

Moreover, research found that assurance logos and welfare messaging can increase purchase intent and improve the public’s perception of products.