Agricultural Industries Confederation

What Agricultural Industries Confederation does

Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is the UK trade association for the agri-supply industry, established in 2003 and headquartered in Peterborough. The organisation operates through its wholly owned subsidiary AIC Services, which manages six externally audited trade assurance schemes — FEMAS (Feed Materials Assurance Scheme), UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme), TASCC (Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops), FIAS (Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme), ASCS (AIC Sustainable Commodities Scheme), and ESTA (European Seed Treatment Assurance scheme) — accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS). AIC also administers the Feed Adviser Register (FAR), a professional credentialing system launched in 2013 with CPD modules across ruminants, pigs, poultry, and game feed segments, and runs AIC Academy training, the Digital Grain Passport, and the NMPT-GB nutrient management planning tool.

AIC serves five core sectors — Animal Feed, Combinable Crops, Crop Protection & Agronomy, Fertiliser, and Seed — with sector-specific committees, working groups, and regional representation for Cymru/Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and EU relations. Following the 2024 merger with Pulses UK, a sixth pulses sector was added, and AIC joined the Global Pulse Confederation in 2025 to extend international reach. The broader offering includes policy advocacy, industry statistics, member-only business intelligence, helplines, insurance schemes, employment law support, standardised contracts and arbitration, health and safety guidance, and sustainability/environmental services including Climate Change Agreements.

AIC's revenue model is subscription-recurring across three primary streams: membership fees paid by agri-supply businesses, trade assurance scheme participation fees (managed by AIC Services), and fees from events/training. The trade assurance portfolio alone covers over 4,000 participants in the UK, Ireland and globally. Membership pricing and scheme fees are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct sales via sector committees and dedicated regional teams, with policy advocacy and assurance compliance as the dual value proposition for enterprise B2B members across the UK agricultural input supply chain.

Name

Agricultural Industries Confederation

Legal name

Agricultural Industries Confederation Ltd

Website

https://agindustries.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Agricultural Industries Confederation is the UK trade association for the agri-supply industry, managing UKAS-accredited trade assurance schemes (FEMAS, UFAS, TASCC, FIAS, ASCS, ESTA), the Feed Adviser Register, and policy representation for feed, fertiliser, crop protection, seed, and pulses businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Trade Association Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation & Oversight Bodies for Food Safety Certification (ABs/Scheme Owners) (AFALACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH), Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading (AFAIAKAL), Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates) (AFALADAE)

Keywords

• Trade assurance schemes
• Feed industry certification
• Agricultural supply chain
• Agri-supply membership
• Crop assurance standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Trade Assurance Schemes: AIC Services manages trade assurance schemes (FEMAS, UFAS, TASCC, FIAS, ASCS, ESTA) for the UK agri-supply sector with over 4,000 participants in the UK, Ireland and globally. These schemes are externally audited to UKAS standards, providing due diligence defence for members.
2. Membership Fees: AIC operates as a membership organization with fees for businesses in the agri-supply sector including animal feed, combinable crops, crop protection, fertiliser, and seed companies.
3. Events and Training: Industry-specific events throughout the year including annual AIC Conference, AIC Fertiliser Dinner, AIC Seed Trade Dinner, as well as training courses and conferences.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is the UK agri-supply industry's leading trade association, delivering UKAS-accredited trade assurance schemes (FEMAS, UFAS, TASCC, FIAS, ASCS, ESTA) for feed materials, combinable crops, fertilisers, and seed treatments. The organisation provides policy representation, industry statistics, training programmes (including the Feed Adviser Register), and industry events to its member businesses across animal feed, combinable crops, crop protection, fertiliser, and seed sectors.

Product overview

AIC (Agricultural Industries Confederation) is a UK trade association for the agri-supply industry, offering a portfolio of trade assurance schemes and professional services. The core offering includes six externally audited assurance schemes (FEMAS, TASCC, UFAS, FIAS, ASCS, ESTA) managed by AIC Services, covering feed materials, combinable crops, fertilisers, and seed treatments. Supporting services include the Feed Adviser Register (FAR) professional register, AIC Academy training, AIC Business Insight newsletters, AIC Podcast, Feed Safety Calculators, and the Digital Grain Passport. The association represents multiple sectors including Animal Feed, Crop Protection, Fertiliser, Combinable Crops, and Seed through dedicated sector committees. All schemes are externally audited to UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) standards, serving over 4,000 participants across the UK, Ireland and globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FEMAS: Feed Materials Assurance Scheme - trade assurance scheme for feed materials
• TASCC
• UFAS
• FIAS
• ASCS
• ESTA
• FAR
• UKFFPA

Products and services

• FEMAS (Feed Materials Assurance Scheme) Feed Materials Assurance Scheme providing due diligence defence and legal compliance for feed material businesses through UKAS-accredited external auditing.
• UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme) Universal Feed Assurance Scheme providing feed and food safety assurance for compound feed manufacturers with annual undesirables testing programme.
• TASCC (Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops) Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops covering feed and food chain assurance, including a Renewable Energy Directive (RED) compliant module.
• FIAS (Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme) Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme securing the UK's fertiliser supply chain since its launch in 2006 through comprehensive monitoring and assurance.
• ASCS (AIC Sustainable Commodities Scheme) Voluntary scheme designed to help businesses demonstrate transparency and meet EUDR and market requirements for deforestation-free feed.

Quantifiable outcome

• UK sales of veterinary antibiotics reduced by almost 60% since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Former Foodstuff Processors Association (EFFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026AIC hosted members of the European Former Foodstuff Processors Association (EFFPA) for a UK visit, bringing together industry representatives to share insights and discuss developments within former food and animal feed sectors.
• Global Pulse Confederation (GPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2025AIC joined the Global Pulse Confederation as a member in August 2025, gaining international representation for the UK pulses industry and access to global pulses sector networking and intelligence.
• Pulses UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2024Members of Pulses UK completed a transfer agreement to join AIC in December 2024, following a vote and AIC Board ratification in March 2024. This merger strengthens sector representation for British pulse sector businesses.
• Voluntary Initiative (VI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001AIC has worked with the Voluntary Initiative since 2001 to develop and support National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) courses. AIC has provided funding and worked on pesticide stewardship programmes, with AIC Head of Crop Protection & Agronomy serving as VI Chair.
• National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001AIC has supported NRoSO training scheme since its inception in 2001, with AIC Members delivering training to about 9,000 NRoSO members at 600 events across Great Britain during 2019-2020.
• Defra-Funded Food and Farm Data Projects Steering GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC joined steering groups for Defra-funded projects that will shape how greenhouse gas data is measured, shared and governed across the UK agricultural supply chain.
• UK Accreditation Service (UKAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade assurance schemes (FEMAS, UFAS, TASCC, FIAS, ASCS, ESTA) are externally audited to UKAS standards, ensuring legal compliance and providing due diligence defence for scheme participants.
• Responsible Use of Antibiotics in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC is a member of RUMA and contributed to the Targets Task Force 2 progress report on antibiotic use targets. RUMA acknowledged UK agriculture's sustained progress on tackling AMR.
• European Seed Treatment Assurance scheme (ESTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC manages the European Seed Treatment Assurance scheme (ESTA) as part of its trade assurance portfolio, ensuring seed treatment standards across the supply chain.
• Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC participates in GFLI (Global Feed LCA Alliance) webinars and workshops on branded data and speciality feed ingredients to support sustainability reporting and audit readiness.
• AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC provided input to AHDB's Pork Environmental Roadmap on feed sourcing and life cycle assessment data, collaborating on environmental improvement initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Red Tractor Assurance: UK's largest food and farm assurance scheme covering supply chain integrity from farm to pack. Directly comparable to AIC as a competing UK assurance scheme provider, with overlapping participant bases in combinable crops and livestock sectors.
• Soil Association Certification: UK organic certification body offering food and farming assurance across multiple standards. Comparable to AIC as a UK-based assurance scheme owner with overlapping participant base in feed and crop sectors.
• RSPCA Assured: UK farm animal welfare certification scheme covering livestock production standards. Comparable to AIC as a UK assurance scheme owner with overlapping member base in animal feed and livestock supply chains, particularly relevant for feed advisers serving RSPCA Assured-certified farms.

Broad incumbents

• AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board): UK statutory levy board representing beef, lamb, pork, dairy, cereals, and oilseeds sectors. Comparable to AIC as a sector-wide UK agricultural body, though AHDB focuses on knowledge exchange and R&D rather than assurance scheme management. AIC has partnered with AHDB on environmental roadmaps.
• Control Union: Global certification body operating across agriculture, forestry, and sustainability with strong presence in commodity certification and sustainable supply chain assurance. Comparable to AIC's TASCC and ASCS schemes as a competitor and potential mutual recognition partner in global feed and crop assurance.
• Kiwa: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) company operating across food, feed, and agricultural sectors. Comparable to AIC as an accredited certification provider serving overlapping agri-supply customers, particularly in feed safety and sustainability assurance.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company operating across food, agriculture, and commodities. Comparable to AIC as a global assurance scheme provider serving multinational feed manufacturers and grain traders in the same customer base.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC company with agri-food certification services including feed safety, sustainability, and supply chain assurance. Comparable to AIC as a competing international assurance scheme operator with potential overlap in FEMAS/UFAS-equivalent feed certification.

Regional players

• Coceral: European trade association representing the trade in cereals, rice, feedstuffs, oilseeds, olive oil, oils and fats, and agro-supply. Comparable to AIC as a sectoral trade association, with AIC's Combinable Crops sector referencing Coceral for food and feed safety data.

Others

• RUMA (Responsible Use of Antibiotics in Agriculture Alliance): UK alliance promoting responsible antibiotic use in livestock, of which AIC is a member. Comparable as an adjacent UK agricultural stewardship organization contributing to industry-wide AMR outcomes, including the 60% antibiotic reduction since 2014 that AIC co-reports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/agindustriesUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agricultural-industries-confederation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agricultural Industries Confederation