Farmers are calling on Britain’s major supermarkets to stop misleading consumers with false claims about the origin of their own-brand products, the Times reported.
A group of domestic farmers has launched a campaign against supermarkets, accusing them of using fake farm brands and Union Jack branding to give shoppers the impression that their products come from rustic, independent producers.
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In reality, much of this food is sourced from large-scale industrial farms or even overseas, reportedly masking the decline of Britain’s family-owned farms.
The Farmers Against Farmwashing campaign has been backed by prominent figures in the industry, including television presenter Jimmy Doherty and chef Rick Stein.
It argues that the rise of large-scale industrial farming is pushing small-scale farmers to the brink of nonexistence.
“Britain’s small-scale farmers are facing extinction, pushed to the brink by the rise of US-style mega-farms,” said Doherty.
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By GlobalData“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.”
According to the Times, the campaign highlights a survey that found nearly two-thirds of farmers fear they will have to give up their farms within the next 18 months.
Only one in four said they believed supermarkets’ claims of supporting British farmers were credible.
The Times also noted a recent investigation by the consumer group Which? that found that some shoppers could easily be misled by supermarkets’ use of Union Jack labels.
For example, Union Jack and ‘Made in Britain’ stamps were printed on the packaging of some Aldi pork and beef products, even though they used EU-derived meat.
The UK’s government has launched a consultation on fairer food labelling to require greater transparency and consistency, including information on the origins of food and the production system in which animals were reared.
