Red Tractor appoints former Sainsbury's head of agriculture

Red Tractor Assurance has appointed Sainsbury’s former head of agriculture Sue Lockhart as its new head of assurance.

Sue joined the UK’s leading farm and food assurance body on October 2 and brings with her a wealth of experience spanning food technology, regional sourcing, innovation and sustainability.

She was appointed as the retailer’s head of agriculture in 2013 but will now take a leading role in the continued development of Red Tractor’s farm standards, which are followed by over 70,000 farm businesses, and the consumer logo which appears on well over £13bn of food and drink.

Sue said: “Consumers have never been so close to their food and there is an increasing desire to understand where it has come from and how it was produced.

“Red Tractor Assurance has a huge role to play in ensuring that farmers are producing food that shoppers demand while at the same time being the symbol of safe, traceable food that consumers look for.”

Jim Moseley, Red Tractor’s CEO, added: “We are delighted that Sue is joining our team, adding considerable strength at a critical time when we are developing Red Tractor in to a flagship scheme which can both protect and promote British agriculture.”