British Food Journal

Purpose – Farm assurance has become a market qualifier for livestock producers supplying UK supermarkets. However UK producers perceive that food safety and welfare standards imposed on UK producers are not imposed to the same extent on livestock producers overseas, whose share of the UK market has grown steadily over the past decade. In light of these challenges this paper aims to examine the perceived role and value of farm assurance along the length of the red meat supply chain, in order to determine the potential for turning a supply chain cost into a supply chain benefit and increasing returns to UK producers.

Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the key supply chain stakeholders (primary producers, processors, retailers and consumers) in the red meat industry.

Findings – The research indicates that the potential benefits of price premiums and preferential market access have not been fully captured. Findings indicate that this is due to a misalignment of the perceived value of farm assurance amongst supply chain members and the fact that consumers have a limited understanding and awareness of farm assurance. However the potential for increased benefits exists as when offered the choice between farm-assured and non-farm assured meat, consumers express a distinct preference and willingness to pay for the former.

Originality/value – This research is timely as there has been little attempt to assess the perceived value of farm assurance along the length of the supply chain where the views of consumers are integrated with the rest of the value chain for red meat.