Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, is one of 46 Labour MPs who co-signed a letter to the “big six” UK supermarkets urging them to adopt a fairer deal for farmers.
The MPs, drawn from across England, Wales and Scotland used the letter to raise concerns that farmers often receive as little as 1p profit from the food items they produce, whilst supermarkets are enjoying “excessive profits”. They note that this is “creating a farming industry that is struggling, and forcing too many farmers and growers to rely on subsidies from government.”
In their letter, they highlight that over the last year alone, the ‘big six’ supermarkets made a combined made a total pre-tax profit of more than £5billion, “yet a typical 200-acre arable family farm in the UK makes just £27,300 in profit.
In a world where farmers and producers are struggling to make a living, and relying on Government grants and subsidies so that they can survive from one year to the next, this can’t be seen as fair or right.” This fact is made even more concerning when not all supermarkets pay corporation tax in the UK.
The letter also takes aim at the practice of ‘farmwashing,’ where misleading labelling gives consumers the false impression that products are locally sourced, when they are in fact imported or produced on large industrial farms masquerading as family-run operations. The letter argues that this practice is not only misleading, but also directly undermines the credibility of British agriculture.
Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley said:
“Supermarkets are claiming to support UK farmers, but their actions suggest otherwise.
“Farmers and growers play a vital role in delivering the UK’s food sustainability, but yet they aren’t receiving a fair deal from the supermarkets. This has been going on for years, and has been left unchallenged for too long.
“It can’t be seen as right or fair that farmers often receive 1p profit from the food items they produce, whilst at the same time supermarkets are making excessive profits.
“Farmers deserve a fair deal, and consumers deserve honesty and transparency.”
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