Organic vegetable box company Riverford has teamed up with a group of British farmers, including TV presenter Jimmy Doherty, to expose misleading farmwashing practices conducted by supermarkets.
The campaign uses a docuseries, said to shed light on farmwashing, where major supermarkets use fake brands and the Union Jack to give the impression that products are from quaint British farms.
However, the campaign claims that food is increasingly sourced from industrial mega-farms or from overseas.
Research conducted by the company suggests that 61% of farmers are concerned that they will have to give up their farms within the next 18 months, with only one in four believing that supermarket claims of supporting British farmers are credible.
Furthermore, 67% feel under pressure from supermarkets, with 67% fearing that they will be delisted if they complain about buying behaviour.
The Farmers Against Farmwashing campaign calls for more transparency in supermarket sourcing and a fair level of support for farmers.
It’s supported by an open letter to the CEOs of the big six supermarkets, calling for an end to farmwashing. It has been signed by more than 100 leading figures, including Cat Smith MP, Jimmy Doherty, Rick Stein, William Chase, Ben Goldsmith, David Chadwick MP and Ben Lake MP as well as industry bodies such as Sustain, FFCC and Soil Association.
Jimmy Doherty, said, “Britain’s small-scale farmers are facing extinction, pushed to the brink by the rise of US-style mega-farms. These enormous operations might make meat cheaper, but the hidden costs are devastating compromises on animal welfare, environmental harm, and the destruction of traditional farming livelihoods.
“We’re seeing generations of family farms swallowed up, replaced by faceless corporations that are driven by profit rather than people or the planet. It’s time we take a stand and support real British farming before it’s too late.”
Shoppers reportedly agree, with 74% saying that they want transparency over food sourcing, and 67% saying that they are distrustful and annoyed that the word farm can still be used, even if food is not sourced from one.
Riverford’s research adds that 60% of shoppers look for the Union Jack, while 68% expect more than half of the food to come from British Farms if the flag is used.
Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic, says: “British farming is at a breaking point. The public cares deeply about where their food comes from, the supermarkets know this and they are using that trust to steal farmer stories and to hoodwink shoppers into thinking they are buying from those small-scale, traditional British farms. Yet the reality is that these farms are being pushed to the brink. Is this the future we want for our food system and our countryside?
“Farmers are already struggling with weather extremes, labour shortages, and rising costs, and while supermarkets claim to support British farming, they fail to back it up with their buying practices.
“Supermarkets must stop exploiting farmers and start supporting them. If we want a future where our food system is resilient, our landscapes are preserved, and our farmers are treated fairly, we need more honesty and decency in the supply chain. The British public has shown they care and would pay a little more if they knew it supported better farming. It’s time supermarkets and the government listened.”
For more information go to www.stopfarmwashing.co.uk
