Interview: NFU president Tom Bradshaw speaks his mind

Tom Bradshaw was elected as the new NFU president just two weeks ago, taking over the leadership of the country’s largest farm union at a pivotal time for the whole agricultural sector.

With his feet now, metaphorically, under the table, Mr Bradshaw spoke to Farmers Weekly about the challenges he faces, from sliding NFU membership to farmer demonstrations, the Red Tractor debacle, and a probable change of government.

See also: Bradshaw to head up new NFU top team

Having been elected NFU president without a challenger, how can you convince farmers you’re the best person for the job?

It’s all about delivering for grassroots members and trying to re-engage them in the NFU and see what the NFU does for them. It will be the actions that will speak louder than any election – contested or uncontested – and that’s what they’ll need to judge me on.

Can you ever stem the flow of members or even reverse it?

We have had two challenging membership years. That’s something we’re very aware of. We also have to be conscious that Defra’s own numbers suggest that we have 7,000 fewer farm businesses than we did five years ago. It does concern us that we are losing members. We correct it by our actions, by driving our engagement on the ground with our members. They need to be proud of the NFU and want to be part of it.

Do you see the emergence of other groups like the British Farming Union, Save British Farming, even the Farming Forum as a threat, an opportunity or an irritant?

Everyone is entitled to a voice, and it is not for the NFU to in any way censor that voice. If they are discontented NFU members, then we need to re-engage with them and give them an opportunity to be part of the NFU. But what other groups of farmers do is really their prerogative.

Should the NFU become more strident?

I don’t feel in England that direct action is required. Clearly, core standards within trade deals is an area we’ve been lobbying on very hard. Fairness in the supply chain we’ve also been very clear on, as is delivering a sustainable future for the industry and getting food impact assessments of government policy. Our challenge is to make members aware we are already lobbying on these areas. Making sure the door is open [in Westminster] to have the political influence is also essential. 

But wouldn’t a peaceful demonstration in front of Westminster strengthen your messaging?

I think those messages are already resonating. The prime minister was at NFU Conference just two weeks ago. But I would also say there is no simple answer. We can campaign on fairness in the supply chain, but what is it that makes fairness in the supply chain? There is no one thing. It is about the supply chain functioning as one, understanding that without farmers making a living, food security is at risk. But there is no one policy which suddenly turns that on its head. It’s a much wider set of asks.

Red Tractor

Red Tractor has clearly been causing a lot of angst for farmers and the NFU. How can you rectify that?

Rebuilding trust is absolutely essential. Red Tractor used to have a very “bottom up” approach for devising policy. We need to go back to a situation where policy is driven from the sector boards, rather than trying to have a commonality across all sectors when it doesn’t really exist. But we do have to remember that we are all food producers, and making sure we demonstrate the safety of food is paramount to the whole supply chain.

Currently just four out of 18 Red Tractor board members are farmers. Should there be more farmer representation?

While the Campbell Tickell review [into Red Tractor governance] concluded that all rules had been met [when devising the Greener Farms Commitment], making sure that farmers’ voices are recognised is the only way to achieve the correct balance of outcomes. Whether that is done through more board positions or through better consultation is open to debate. But trust will not be rebuilt if farmers’ voices aren’t heard.

Why have the UK farm unions and the AHDB called for the GFC to be scrapped this week?

Again, this is all about how do we rebuild trust between grassroots farmers and farm assurance. The lack of trust has been growing over years, but I would say the straw that broke the camel’s back was the GFC. If there is any desire at this moment in time to continue with the GFC, rebuilding trust should be the essential focus of Red Tractor.

The NFU and AHDB are just two voices on the Red Tractor board of 18. The chair, Christine Tacon, recently told the BBC it was “when, not if” the GFC would reappear. Is there now a rift?

We are responding to the existential threat [to the whole Red Tractor assurance scheme] identified by the Campbell Tickell review. We have to take that seriously, and Red Tractor needs to respond accordingly to ensure that trust is rebuilt. For our members, this is a line in the sand. It is a clear ask of Red Tractor to respect the fragility of that trust and realise what could go wrong if we don’t rebuild that trust.

Food security

You stressed the importance of food security in your first “vlog” on the NFU website. Are we sleepwalking into food shortages?

One of our key asks is for food policy impact assessments across all areas of government – including Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England. I don’t think anyone has looked at the impact of Environmental Land Management through the lens of what is the impact on food production. It is an environmental scheme rather than something that is really about sustainable food production. The two can and should go hand in hand, but at the moment it feels like an environmental policy. That needs to be corrected.

Will food markets be distorted by the development of devolved policies such as income safety nets in Northern Ireland and headage payments in Scotland?

Having a common framework would be very helpful, because we are seeing vast differences across the borders. We are entering a phase which is actually far more complex that we had under the previous CAP. We have to accept that devolution is creating its own challenges and that’s why the farming unions need to work closely together, to minimize those impacts, particularly for cross-border farms.

What would be the main threats from a switch to a Labour government?

When I look at a possible Labour government, we’ve had difficult conversations, and continue to have, around TB control. The science is very clear, that where we’re into four years of [badger] culling, we’ve got a 56% decline in TB rates in England. Any government that is committed to TB eradication by 2038 needs to maintain access to all the tools. So TB policy is top of the list.

Right to roam has also exercised members’ minds. We are assured that it will not be a right to roam as it is in Scotland. We can try and help find solutions (to public access), but if Labour is just a populist party, it becomes far more difficult. 

One area that will probably be strengthened under a Labour administration is fairness in the supply chain. They will not like the thought that small businesses don’t have a fair opportunity within the supply chain.