Forage Analysis Assurance (FAA) Group Privacy Notice
Effective from [DATE TBD]
Overview
The Forage Analysis Assurance (FAA) Group supports consistent, high-quality forage testing by running a Proficiency Testing (PT) scheme for laboratories. This helps labs monitor and improve their analytical performance, supporting accurate ruminant diet formulation across the agricultural supply chain.
The FAA Group website provides:
- Registration and account management for participating laboratories
- Secure submission of test results
- Access to scheme updates, results summaries, and technical guidance
The site enables efficient participation in the scheme and supports continuous improvement in forage analysis standards.
Governance
The FAA Group is managed by the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), which provides administrative, financial, and technical support for the scheme. AIC acts as the data controller for personal data processed to deliver FAA services.
Our ICO Registration Number is Z9663996.
Our Data Protection Lead oversees compliance and manages all queries from data subjects.
Contact Email: [insert contact email]
Data Collection
Personal data is provided either directly by individuals or by their employers. Failure to provide the required information may hinder our ability to deliver FAA effectively or may limit the organisation's ability to participate in the scheme.
How We Use Personal Data
The table below explains how AIC collects and uses personal data to support membership services. It outlines:
- Processing: The reason we collect and use personal data, such as managing memberships, sending communications, or organising events.
- Data Collected: The types of personal data we collect for each activity, including names, contact details, job titles, and communication preferences.
- Lawful Basis: The legal justification for processing this data under UK GDPR.
No automated decision making or profiling takes place. Participants can opt out of marketing communications directly from their website accounts or by contacting us without it affecting their participation in the scheme.
Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the personal data we process. These measures are designed to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk and include:
- Secure cloud storage solutions with robust encryption and access restrictions.
- Access controls and user authentication to prevent unauthorised access to personal data.
- Regular system reviews, updates and vulnerability assessments to maintain security and address emerging threats.
- Staff training and awareness programmes to ensure that personnel understand their data protection responsibilities.
- Data minimisation practices, collecting and retaining only the personal data necessary for the purposes identified.
- Third-party supplier due diligence, ensuring that any partners handling personal data meet appropriate security and contractual standards.
Data Sharing
We may share personal data with trusted third parties who support the delivery of FAA services, including:
- Email and IT providers – for communications and secure data management
- Independent consultants or advisors – to support administration, technical assessment, or scheme improvements
All third-party suppliers are subject to strict contractual and security obligations.
International Transfers
Your personal data is primarily processed within the United Kingdom. However, to provide our services and support our operational requirements, it may occasionally be necessary to transfer or store your personal data in countries outside the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA).
When such transfers occur, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your data continues to be protected in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. These safeguards include, but are not limited to:
- Adequacy Decisions: In instances where personal data is transferred to a country that has been recognised by the UK as providing an adequate level of data protection, no further safeguards are necessary.
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): We employ SCCs approved by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or the European Commission. These contractual arrangements impose robust data protection obligations on any recipient of your personal data outside the UK/EEA.
- Where applicable, we conduct comprehensive Transfer Risk Assessments to identify, evaluate, and mitigate any potential risks associated with transferring personal data internationally. These assessments enable us to implement additional measures if necessary, ensuring that your data remains secure even when processed outside the UK/EEA.
If you have any questions or concerns about our international transfers of personal data, please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection Lead.
Record Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary to provide the FAA service and comply with legal requirements.
- Contact enquiries and support messages
- FAA registration and participation records
- User account information
- Website access and security logs
- Cookie consent records
- Website analytics data
- Complaints, compliments, and correspondence
- Communication and mailing list records
- Marketing and engagement data
- Case study and testimonial content
Participants who opt out of marketing are immediately removed from FAA mailing lists. Their details (name and email address) are added to our Do Not Contact list to ensure no further promotional communications are sent.
Your Rights
Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data, including:
- Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Deletion: You can request that we delete your data, if there is no reason for us to keep it.
- Restriction: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Objection: You can object to how we process your data, particularly if we are using it for marketing or profiling.
- Data Portability: You can request your data in a format that allows you to transfer it to another service.
- Withdraw Consent: You have the right to withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent).
Please contact us to exercise any of these rights.
Questions and Complaints
If you have any questions about this notice or how your data is used, please contact:
Email: TBD
If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner's Office
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113