AHDB launch debate on the future of quality assurance

As part of the consultation, AHDB are asking for industry views on:

• Should AHDB invest levy payers money to promote the quality and standards of its sectors products?
• Does there need to be a rationalisation of existing quality marks?
• Should AHDB invest levy funds to promote uptake within the industry, police the proper use of a mark and build consumer awareness about the quality and standards of all sector products? (The cost of this is estimated to be about £0.5m. per annum to AHDB and would be apportioned back to AHDB sector organisations).

If levy payer money was to be invested, should AHDB:

• Create a new scheme?
• Adopt the Red Tractor Logo (RTL) scheme as it is now? or
• Integrate existing standards in the beef and sheep sector into the RTL scheme? (Note: pig sector standards already integrated)
• In your sector, which products or market segments do you believe would most benefit from the promotion of quality characteristics (either general quality characteristics common to your sector and other sectors or ones specific to your sector)? Would you support levy payers' money being invested in this promotion?
• If in your view, no products in your sector would benefit from promoting such a scheme (beyond a baseline investment outlined in question 3), would you accept other AHDB sectors working together at a sector level on such a scheme through AHDB?
• Do you support levy-funded investment even though this will mean that EU guidelines for promotion would need to be observed by all parties participating in the scheme throughout the supply chain even where private funds were invested?