Assured Food Standards update 270623

Assured Food Standards (AFS) is the key farm assurance scheme in the UK, supported by members and part owned by the BRC. AFS is used extensively by members in their supply chains and the evolution of the standards and the role AFS can play underpinning brands and delivery of issues such as net zero and nature net positive. 

The report attached covers the strategic approach of AFS as well as detailed comment from the poultry and cereals boards. 

A few key points drawn from the report 

• AFS continues to view itself as a brand, including aspirations to build the brand through advertising and marketing
• It is trialling modules on environment and worker welfare
• On the environment module it believes this can deliver additional benefits to meet challenges of net zero and biodiversity
• There is slow progress on lifetime assurance in beef and lamb
• AFS were not aware of the challenge of nature net positive we have shared a recent presentation to help them think about its future impact