Riverford lead protest against big six supermarkets

A protest led by Devon’s Riverford Organic farm is taking place outside parliament today.

The protest is by British farmers who claim they are being unfairly treated by the UK’s big supermarkets.

The campaign is calling for tougher regulations on the industry to protect food producers from unfair treatment by six supermarket chains which dominate the domestic retail market.

The protest will see dozens of scarecrows appear outside parliament at the same time as MPs due to debate reforms to the grocery supply chain.

Riverford Organic, which launched the petition, said the scarecrows standing outside Parliament represented fruit and vegetable farmers who claim it is likely they will go out of business in the next 12 months.

The petition calls for regulations that ensure supermarkets adhere to “fair” purchasing agreements, including buying agreed quantities and paying the agreed amount on time “without exception”.

Guy Singh-Watson, the founder of Riverford Organic, said: “British agriculture is on its knees. The livelihoods of our farmers are being laid to waste.

“Our 49 scarecrows outside Parliament illustrate the 49 per cent of farmers on the brink of leaving our industry, and I hope this hammers home to those in power the sheer scale of the problem and the urgent need for change.

“Without fairer treatment for farmers, the reality is the destruction of British farming along with the landscape, wildlife and rural communities it once supported.

“For farmers, the clock is ticking. We urge the Government to take action now to safeguard the future of British agriculture.”

William White, sustainable farming campaign co-ordinator at Sustain, said: “Riverford’s scarecrow protest sends a stark message: only strong regulation from the Government can ensure farmers get a fair deal for the food they produce.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Our fruit and vegetable farmers are crucial to the resilience of our food system to the wider economy, with 60 per cent of all the food we need being produced in the UK.

“It is only right that British farmers and growers should be paid a fair price, and our review into the fairness of the supply chain will help address these concerns.

“That is alongside delivering on our wider commitments from the Farm to Fork Summit to provide greater stability and resilience for the fresh produce sector.”