I was incredibly keen to join over 100 MPs from across Parliament in signing an open letter calling on supermarkets to highlight the very best of British produce by incorporating a ‘Buy British’ section online.
The letter, penned by Dr Luke Evans MP, states ‘Our ask is simple, create a tab that collates produce from farmers,’ citing consumer choice, environmental benefits and support for farmers as reasons to make the change.
The ‘Buy British’ tab would collate produce from across the UK so customers have “greater power in their choices”, enabling them to support the nation’s farmers ‘quickly and easily’.
This change could be achieved ‘by the click of a mouse’, with many shops already labelling British products, with the online change simply bringing the produce to the fore in a 'one-stop online shop' for the public to better identify homegrown produce.
In a recent survey carried out by the National Farmers Union, 61% of respondent farmers stated the supply chain and market volatility have negative impacts on their mental health, with 80% of dairy farmers in a second NFU survey citing cash flow and profitability as key factors which throw the future of their business into doubt.
Farmers face an expensive harvest as domestic weather records – the driest February in 30 years, hottest June ever recorded and a notably wet July – as well as high import costs for energy, fuel and fertiliser threaten positive yields and profits.
The open letter champions the work of Britain’s farmers in ensuring food security, supporting strong local economies and preserving and protecting the environment, while empowering the public to be able to make easy choices in how they shop for their food.
