Farmers Against Farmwashing

Coming from a farming/agricultural background myself, I appreciate the challenges (and the joys, too, of course) of rural life. Farming is integral to our economy, culture, our landscapes, and our very identity. I’ve always considered it a privilege to stand up for the interests of our farmers in Parliament and will continue to do so.  

Our food production system is under severe stress. The previous Conservative Government let farmers down, leaving them exposed and subject to the bulk-buy treatment of supermarket buyers. The previous Government’s lack of investment in agricultural support post-Brexit and the half-hearted management of new environmental policies worsened the conditions for farmers.   

Failures to act decisively on food security and the price paid to farmers have left many at the mercy of unscrupulous practices within the food supply chain. Farmers are still indirectly forced into contracts which don’t deliver a fair deal for their effort, and the Government’s refusal to strengthen the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has allowed the supermarket giants to continue their dominance, keeping farmers’ margins razor thin.  

My Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Colleagues and I have consistently stood up for British farmers and will continue to do so. We are committed to ensuring everyone in the UK has access to affordable, healthy, and nutritious food that is produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards. But that’s only possible if we support the people producing it.  

That’s why we are calling for a comprehensive National Food Strategy—to secure our food supply, tackle food poverty, and bring long-term resilience to the system. We would accelerate the rollout of Environmental Land Management schemes and boost funding by £1 billion per year to reward sustainable, nature-friendly and profitable farming.  

I am proud to have helped establish the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). But we must build its powers and reach. The GCA must have the resources to take on the supermarket giants and genuinely protect farmers. That includes strengthening its remit to cover the whole supply chain—extending the Groceries Supply Code of Practice to include processors, hospitality and manufacturers, not just the biggest retailers.  

The GC must uphold a core principle: that British farmers receive a fair price and an honest contract for the food they produce.