Category Archives: News

International Women’s Day: ‘Do not be like others’ – Christine Tacon on carving out a career in farming

Christine Tacon

Farmers Guardian – 7th March 2025

To mark IWD 2025 (March 7), we speak to Christine Tacon, who has sat on various boards such as Red Tractor, about her defining moments and advice for other women in agriculture

Christine Tacon is a well-known figure in the farming world, and although she is not directly from a farming background, she has worked her way up through various businesses and has had a seat at the table on various boards.…

Co-op Member Nominated Director Candidacy

Christine Tacon

I am delighted to have been elected as a Member Nominated Director for the Co-op at their AGM held on 18th May 2024. If you are interested you can see my candidate address, 500-word statement and 2-minute video used for my application here.…

Supermarkets already have price controls: us

Christine Tacon

The Times – 2nd July 2023

Our supermarkets seem short of friends — at least within the Palace of Westminster. Rishi Sunak has said that the cost of the weekly shop “has gone up too much in the past few months … we’re looking at the supermarkets, making sure that they’re behaving responsibly and fairly when it comes to pricing”.…

Tacon announces Co-op Member Nominated Director candidacy

Christine Tacon

I am standing as a Member Nominated Director for the Co-op at their AGM held on Saturday 20th May 2023. I have been asked to produce a brief candidate address, a 500-word statement and a 2-minute video. These can be view below.…

Supermarket power tops concerns at Farmers Weekly Question Time

Christine Tacon

Farmers Weekly– 25th April 2023

Supermarkets and supply chain unfairness were top of the agenda at the third Farmers Weekly Question time event at the John Innes Centre in Norwich.

Farmers shaped the discussion by putting their searching questions to a panel of policymakers and influential figures, including Christine Tacon, chairwoman of Assured Food Standards for Red Tractor.…

Could the Competition & Markets Authority seriously do the job of policing the GSCOP?

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 19th July 2022

Critics say the GCA has over-stepped its remit and made itself vulnerable, but supporters warn handing its job to the CMA would be disastrous

Small business minister Jane Hunt had been in the job for just two weeks when The Grocer revealed she was to consider scrapping the Groceries Code Adjudicator role in a drive to increase efficiency and ministerial accountability.

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Ex-military workers encouraged to join food supply chain by £450k grant

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 21st February 2022

MDS_Peterborough-45

Food sector learning provider MDS has received a £450,000 grant to create a training programme for non-graduates and triple the number of its secondments in the food industry.

The campaign will focus on recruiting ex-military personnel and career changers to upskill the fresh produce sector.…

NFU Scotland AGM 2022: Sustainability increasingly important for farm assurance

Christine Tacon

The Press and Journal – 11th February 2022

Sustainability will become an increasingly important component of farm assurance going forward, claim the leaders of three industry assurance bodies.

Speaking at the NFU Scotland virtual annual general meeting and conference, the chairs of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Red Tractor and Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) said farm produce buyers were increasingly asking for assurances about the sustainability of food produced on British farms.…

CAPI Releases Report on Supply Chain Efficiencies

Christine Tacon

Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) – 27th January 2022

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) announces the release of its latest Perspective Report, delivering critical insights on supply-chain efficiencies and competitiveness from UK Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon.

A healthy supply chain, where food can flow efficiently from farmers and processors, through retailers to consumers, is critical for Canada and Canadians,” says Tyler McCann, Managing Director of CAPI.…

Women In Food & Farming – November Broadcast

Christine Tacon

Guest Speaker Jan England of England Marketing

“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…

Women In Food & Farming – October Broadcast

Christine Tacon

Guest Speaker Judith Batchelar OBE. Special Advisor CR&S and Public Affairs Sainsbury’s.

“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…

Women In Food & Farming – September Broadcast

Christine Tacon

What Have We Learned In Our Ways Of Working From The COVID Pandemic…?

A quick insight from some of the Group Founders as to what they have found and differing ways of working from over the last 18mths.

“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…

Canada food retail body issues own call for grocery code of conduct

Christine Tacon

Just Food – 28th May 2021

Canada’s largest retail trade body has joined calls for a grocery code of conduct – although its demands have sparked concerns at one leading manufacturers’ association.

The Retail Council of Canada, which represents Canada’s largest food retailers, yesterday (27 May) announced it wants a “food industry code of practice” and unveiled a new “alliance” of supplier and retail organisations that would look to devise the new system.…

Red Tractor leader to discuss food and farming challenges

Christine Tacon

Eastern Daily Press – 9th April 2021

The Norfolk-born businesswoman who now leads the nation’s largest farm assurance scheme will discuss the future challenges facing the food industry during an online event.

Christine Tacon, newly-appointed chairman of the Red Tractor farm and food assurance scheme, will speak at an online event on Tuesday, part of series of lectures and debates to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).…

Women In Food & Farming – March Broadcast

Christine Tacon

Views on the Biggest Challenges Facing Agriculture in the next 10 years

“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture, and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.…

Aldi to fund 60 fresh produce management trainees

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 10th March 2021

Aldi is to fund 60 management apprenticeships in the fresh produce industry over two years to help nurture talent in the sector.

The move is in partnership with fresh produce management training scheme MDS, chaired by former GCA Christine Tacon.…

Brexit opportunity prompts MDS investment

Christine Tacon

Fresh Produce Journal – 26th January 2021

More young people are looking to pursue career in food, reports grad training organisation, with Brexit expected to boost efforts to nurture homegrown talent

Agrifood graduate training organisation MDS has reported “unprecedented” demand from graduates as well as new member companies over the past 12 months. …

Tacon appointed chair of Red Tractor Assurance

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 21st December 2020

Former Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has been appointed chair of the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.

Tacon, who stood down from her GCA role in October after more than seven years at the helm, replaces Lucy Neville-Rolfe, whose three-year term ended in November.…

Tacon named new chairman of Red Tractor scheme

Christine Tacon

Farmers Weekly – 18th December 2020

Former groceries code adjudicator Christine Tacon has been appointed as the new head of Red Tractor.

Ms Tacon has been named as the chairman of Assured Food Standards (ASF), the company that operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme. …

2020: a year of great progress for the Drop and Drive Claims Workgroup

Christine Tacon

Simply Supply Chain Blog – 27th October 2020

Despite the considerable impacts on the grocery supply chain this year, the Drop and Drive Claims Workgroup has continued to make great progress during 2020 and we were able to celebrate some incredible results at the final review of the year last week.…

Tacon enters final week as GCA

Christine Tacon

Fresh Produce Journal – 28th October 2020

Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has announced she will step down from the role at the end of this week, handing over to successor Mark White.

Tacon, who was the inaugural adjudicator, setting up the organisation seven years ago and establishing it as the arbiter of supermarket-supplier relations, was due to step down earlier this year but agreed to stay on to oversee issues arising out of the Covid pandemic. 

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