"Britain's small-scale farmers are facing extinction." From left to right: Kriss Woodhead, Zoe Colville, Guy Singh Watson, Jimmy Doherty and Ben Andrews.
Riverford's Guy Singh-Watson has launched a new campaign to highlight unfairness in the supply chain from food labelling.
Mr Singh-Watson, founder of the Organic veg box company, has received backing from Jimmy's Farm presenter Jimmy Doherty and a host of figures to launch a new campaign, 'Farmers Against Farmwashing'.
The Devon farmer said the practice of farmwashing - a marketing tactic which gives the impression that a product comes from a British farms when, in fact, it does not - has led to a decline of UK farming families and 'masked' the realities they face in the supply chain.
An open letter was addressed by the campaign to the chief executives at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl on Wednesday (September 25), calling on them to end the practice of 'farmwashing' and to 'honour their promises' of supporting British farmers.
The campaign is also a rallying call to shoppers to make informed choices and understand the origins of their food and, where possible, support local and direct-from-farmer purchases.
So far, figures including Cat Smith MP, TV chef Rick Stein, Tyrrells Potato Chips founder William Chase, David Chadwick MP and Ben Lake MP have signed the open letter.
Industry bodies such as Sustain, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and Soil Association have also supported the letter.
To coincide with the campaign, Riverford's new research has revealed that 61% of farmers currently trading or have previously traded with supermarkets in the last five years said they may have to give up their farms within the next 18 months.
Only 1 in 4 (25%) farmers surveyed think that supermarket claims to support British farmers are credible and backed up by supermarket buying behaviour.
While 67% of farmers feel under pressure from supermarkets and 67% live in fear of being delisted if they complain about supermarket buying behaviour.
An additional consumer research poll was conducted by Censuswide with 2,003 shoppers revealing their thoughts about 'farmwashing'.
Undertaken between July 8 and July 10, 67% of shoppers felt distrustful and annoyed when they learned that the word ‘farm' can be used by supermarkets without it being from a real farm.
And 74% of shoppers demand transparency from supermarkets about the origins of their food.
Mr Singh-Watson said British farming is at a 'breaking point' without action being taken to address 'farmwashing'.
"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," he added.
"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 is time supermarkets and the Government listened."
Mr Doherty also backed calls to support British food producers from the 'unfair' practice.
He added: "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 are seeing generations of family farms swallowed up and replaced by corporations which tare driven by profit rather than people or the planet.
"It is time we take a stand and support real British farming before it is too late."
The campaign features a four-episode docuseries, which sheds light on the practice of 'farmwashing' on supermarket shelves and the 'real-life impact' practices can have on farmers across the UK.
Now calling for transparency in supermarket sourcing and fair support for Britain's farmers, 'Farming against farmwashing' has urged the Government and policy makers to support the campaign before it is too late for British family farms.
Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, and Tesco have all been approached for further comment.
More information about the campaign can be found here.
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