AHDB privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how AHDB collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information.

Date of last revision: 13 October 2026

This page will tell you:

What information we collect
Why we collect it
Where we get it from
Who we share it with
How long we keep it
What rights you have
How to contact us

Each section begins with a short summary. Select Read the full details for more information.

Read the full details about this privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how we use personal information for AHDB’s activities. It also covers personal information we collect through our websites and other digital services.

Our websites may include links to other websites, including third-party or partner websites. AHDB is not responsible for those websites, and linking to them does not mean we endorse them.

This privacy notice is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

About AHDB

AHDB is a public body that supports farmers, growers and others working in the agriculture industry.

We collect and use personal information so we can:

Carry out our legal responsibilities
Deliver our services and programmes
Communicate with levy payers and stakeholders
Improve our websites and digital services

If you have questions about how we use your personal information, contact our Data Protection Officer.

Email: data.protection@ahdb.org.uk

Data Protection Officer
AHDB
Middlemarch Business Park
Siskin Parkway East
Coventry
CV3 4PE

Contact AHDB

Visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website

The information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with AHDB.

This may include:

Your name and contact details
Your organisation and job role
Information about your interactions with our services
Information about events you attend
Website and digital service usage data
Information you provide in forms, surveys or applications

We collect personal information when we have a specific reason to use it.

Read the full details about the information we collect

Personal information is information that can identify you, either directly or indirectly.

Depending on how you interact with AHDB, we may collect:

Contact information such as your name, address, email address and telephone number.
Professional information such as your job title, organisation and business account details.
Financial information including levy payer and supplier payment details where needed.
Digital information about how you use our websites, online services and communications.
Activity and engagement information such as event attendance, programme participation and service preferences.
Location and land information including field locations and ownership details where relevant to our work.
Information you provide to us directly through forms, surveys, applications, competitions and other interactions.
Membership information relating to panels, committees, organisations or bodies you are involved with.
Additional information, such as date of birth or demographic information, where required for a specific purpose.

This information may be collected through levy returns, event registrations, feedback forms, surveys, websites, competitions, publicly available sources and trusted third parties.

Why we collect your information

We use personal information to:

Collect and manage levy payments
Carry out research and industry programmes
Deliver events, training and services
Communicate important updates
Improve our websites and digital services
Manage supplier and customer relationships
Understand how our services are being used

Where possible, we also use anonymised information to produce industry reports and statistics.

Read the full details about why we collect your information

AHDB collects and uses personal information to fulfil the statutory functions set out in the AHDB Order 2008.

These functions include collecting levies and using those funds to support research, knowledge exchange, skills development, market information, sustainability and market development activities across the agriculture and horticulture industries.

If we were unable to collect and use personal information, we would be unable to carry out some of our statutory functions or provide certain services.

We use personal information for the following purposes.

Industry levy payers and stakeholders

We may use personal information to:

Collect, verify and audit levy payments
Carry out research and industry programmes
Communicate information about research, benchmarking, skills sustainability, market developments and other AHDB activities
Explain how levy funds are being used
Issue disease alerts and other important industry updates
Work with industry organisations and project partners
Tailor communications, services and content based on your interactions with AHDB
Understand how people use our websites and services so that we can improve them
Produce aggregated and anonymised reports, statistics and market information to support industry decision-making

Business contacts and users of our digital services

We may use personal information to:

Create and manage contact records and user accounts
Provide access to websites, apps, portals and other digital services
Manage security, governance, support and administration of those services
Enable organisations working with AHDB to collaborate and deliver projects, programmes and services

Consumers

We may use personal information to:

Provide health, nutrition and recipe information when requested
Understand how our websites and digital services are used so that we can improve them and make content more relevant

Suppliers and customers

We may use personal information to:

Manage pre-contract activities and contractual relationships
Administer supplier and customer accounts
Deliver services, process payments and manage our business obligations

Where appropriate, we may use aggregated or anonymised information for research, statistical and reporting purposes.

Our legal reasons for using your information

Data protection law requires us to have a valid reason for using personal information.

Depending on the activity, we may use your information because:

We have a legal duty to do so
We are carrying out work in the public interest
We need it to fulfil a contract
We have a legitimate interests

You have given us your consent

Read the full details about the legal reasons for using your information

Data protection law requires AHDB to have a lawful basis for collecting and using personal information. The lawful basis we use depends on the purpose for which the information is being processed.

Public task

As a statutory levy board, AHDB uses personal information to carry out functions given to it by Parliament under the AHDB Order 2008.

This includes activities such as:

Collecting and administering levies
Carrying out research and analysis
Producing statistics and market information
Supporting knowledge exchange and skills development
Promoting sustainability and industry development

These activities are carried out in the public interest to support a competitive and sustainable agriculture and horticulture industry.

Contract

We use personal information where it is necessary to enter into, manage or fulfil a contract with a supplier, customer or other organisation.

This may include maintaining contact details, managing accounts and providing access to services where required.

Legitimate interests

We may use personal information where it is necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation.

Before doing so, we consider the impact on your rights and freedoms and ensure that our interests do not override your interests unless permitted by law.

Legal obligation

We may process or share personal information where this is necessary to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

This can include obligations relating to areas such as health and safety, taxation, regulatory compliance and record keeping.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, we will ask for your permission before collecting or using your personal information.

This may include:

Providing information to consumers, including certain marketing communications
Photography, video recordings and audio recordings where an individual is the main subject

You can withdraw your consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

Where we get your information from

We may collect information:

Directly from you
From organisations you work with
From public sources such as Companies House
From social media platforms where permitted
Through our websites, apps and cookies
Through location services on mobile devices, where enabled
From satellite and field-scanning services
Through website analytics, including information about how you interact with our pages

We explain these sources in more detail below.

Read the full details on where we get your information from

We collect personal information from a range of sources, depending on how you interact with AHDB.

Information you provide directly

You may provide personal information when you:

Submit levy returns
Sign up for information or services
Complete forms, surveys or feedback requests
Enter competitions
Register for events, benchmarking activities or other programmes
Join a committee, panel or board

Third-party organisations

We may receive information from third-party organisations where:

They share information with us to help us carry out our statutory functions
You have given permission for your information to be shared
An employer, industry body or partner organisation nominates or authorises you to participate in an AHDB service, project or digital platform

We may also obtain information from satellite and field-scanning services to support levy administration and improve our services and communications.

Publicly available sources

We may supplement the information you provide with data from the publicly available sources, such as Companies House and other public databases.

Social media and online platforms

Where your privacy settings allow, we may receive information from social media or messaging platforms that you use to interact with us.

We use Hootsuite for community management and depending on your settings for social media and messaging services like Facebook and X, you might give us permission to access information from those accounts or services.

Websites, apps and digital services

When you use our websites or digital services, we may collect information through cookies and similar technologies. This may include:

IP address and device information
Browser and operating system information
Website usage and download information
How visitors interact with pages and content

During some visits we may use software tools — including Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Microsoft Clarity and Hotjar — to measure and collect

For more information, see our Cookie Policy

Mobile devices

If location services are enabled on your mobile device, we may use location information to understand how and where our services are being accessed.

Location services can usually be disabled through your device settings.

Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information with trusted organisations that help us:

Deliver services
Run events
Carry out research
Support our digital services
Meet legal or regulatory requirements

When we share information, we require organisations to protect it appropriately.

Read the full details on who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information or share it with other organisations for their marketing purposes.

We may share personal information with trusted third parties that help us deliver our services. This may include organisations that:

Deliver research, training, events and industry programmes on our behalf
Support event registration, payments and administration
Distribute publications, factsheets and other information
Provide website hosting, technical support, security and other digital services

Where event information is shared with a partner organisation, we will tell you at the point of registration and, where required, ask for your consent.

All organisations that process personal information on our behalf are required to keep it secure and confidential.

We may also share personal information where necessary to:

Support regulatory, animal health or plant health activities
Enable public bodies and government organisations to assess risk or contact levy payers when required
Comply with legal obligations
Respond to requests from courts, regulators or law enforcement agencies

This may include sharing information with organisations such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Defra and equivalent organisations in the devolved administrations.

How we keep your information secure

We take security seriously.

To protect your information we:

Use secure systems and networks
Restrict access to authorised people
Work with trusted suppliers
Use appropriate safeguards when information is transferred internationally

Read the full details about how we keep your information secure

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information.

These measures include:

Using encryption where appropriate
Storing information within secure AHDB systems and cloud services
Regular independent audits of our systems and controls
Limiting access to personal information to authorised people who need it for their work

When we use suppliers or partners to process personal information on our behalf, we require them to:

Keep information secure and confidential
Handle and transfer information safely
Comply with UK data protection laws
Meet the security and data protection standards set out in their contract with AHDB

AHDB's systems and data storage are located within the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA).

Some suppliers or partners may process personal information outside the UK or EEA. Where this happens, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information and comply with UK data protection laws.

These safeguards may include recognised data-transfer mechanisms such as the UK-US Data Bridge or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

Keeping your information accurate

We use information you provide to keep our records accurate and up to date.

Where appropriate, we may also check information against trusted sources, including postcode lookup services, Companies House, Mortascreen and other organisations that lawfully share information with us.

If your details change, email comms@ahdb.org.uk

How long we keep your information

We only keep personal information for as long as necessary.

The amount of time depends on:

Why we collected it
Legal requirements
Business needs
Regulatory obligations

In some cases, we may remove personal identifiers and keep anonymised information for research and statistical purposes.

Read the full details about how long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, unless we are required or permitted by law to keep it for longer.

When deciding how long to keep information, we consider:

The type and sensitivity of the information
Why we collected and use it
Legal, regulatory, tax and accounting requirements
The potential risks associated with retaining the information

In some circumstances, we may keep information for longer, for example if there is an ongoing complaint, legal claim or investigation.

Information relating to levy collection is generally retained for up to 10 years. Geospatial data may be retained for longer where permitted by law.

In some cases, we may anonymise personal information so that it can no longer be linked to an individual. Anonymised information may be retained and used for research, statistical and reporting purposes.

Your rights

You have rights over how your personal information is used.

These may include the right to:

Access your information
Correct inaccurate information
Ask us to delete information in certain circumstances
Restrict how information is used
Object to certain processing activities
Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

If you want to exercise any of your rights, please contact us.

Read the full details about your rights

Under data protection law, you have rights over the personal information AHDB holds about you.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

For more information about your rights, visit the Information Commissioner's Office guidance on individual rights.

Access your information

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).

Responses are usually made within 30 days, unless an extension is required.

Correct inaccurate information

You have the right to ask us to correct personal information that is inaccurate or incomplete.

Object to processing

You have the right to object to how we process your personal information in certain circumstances, including where we rely on a public task or legitimate interests basis.

Request deletion of your information

You may have the right to ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.

However, information that we process as part of our public task may not be eligible for deletion. Where we process information based on your consent, deletion requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

We may also need to retain some information to comply with legal obligations, maintain records or ensure you are not contacted again.

Withdraw consent

Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

AHDB currently uses consent for certain consumer communications and for photography, video and audio recordings where an individual is the main subject.

Restrict how we use your information

You may have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances.

Make a complaint

If you are unhappy with how we use your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Legal or Data Protection colleagues should confirm whether any other applicable rights need to be included.

Contact us about your personal information

If you have a question about how we use your personal information, or you want to exercise one of your rights, contact our Data Protection Officer.

Email: data.protection@ahdb.org.uk

Post: Data Protection Officer
AHDB
Middlemarch Business Park
Siskin Parkway East
Coventry
CV3 4PE

Changes to this privacy notice

We may update this privacy notice.

The date at the top of the page shows when it was last updated. If we make an important change to how we use your personal information, we will let you know.