Scarecrow protest outside UK Parliament by British farmers

Farmers in Britain protest against unfair treatment by major supermarket chains, with 49% of farmers on the edge of leaving the industry

Dozens of scarecrows lined the vicinity of Britain’s parliament on Monday as fruit and vegetable farmers rallied against what they perceive as “unfair” treatment by the country’s major supermarket chains.

Representing the 49% of farmers teetering on the edge of leaving the industry, 49 scarecrows were strategically placed opposite the British legislature in London. The protest, organized by Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic, and other activists, aimed to draw attention to the struggles faced by farmers in the face of supermarket practices.

“Supermarkets are bringing British farming to its knees,” Singh-Watson expressed, asserting that government policies lacked adequate support for farmers and were inconsistently enforced. He urged politicians to take responsibility and formulate policies rather than relying on retailers contractually obligated to prioritize shareholder interests.

Singh-Watson’s company initiated a petition garnering 112,000 signatures, emphasizing the farmers’ demand for supermarkets to adhere to “fair” purchasing agreements, ensuring the acquisition of agreed quantities and timely payments “without exception.”

The farmers argue that unfair purchasing agreements by major chains, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl, could force many of them out of business within the next 12 months.

The demonstration coincided with parliamentary debates on a petition submitted by farmers urging an overhaul of the grocery supply chain code of practice. The petition seeks government intervention to ensure retailers fulfill agreed-upon purchases and payments promptly.

“The continued pressure from retailers to produce food at cheaper prices is just unsustainable for a lot of farmers,” warned British farmer Ben Andrews. Green Party spokesperson Emily O’Brien emphasized the potential consequences for Britain’s food supply if smaller farmers succumb to market pressures.

“If our smaller farmers, our family farms, go under, we’re going to see shortages on the shelves. We need that UK production, particularly of fruit and veg,” O’Brien cautioned.

Responding to the protest, a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs acknowledged the critical role of fruit and vegetable farmers in the UK’s food system. The department assured a commitment to addressing concerns through an ongoing review of the supply chain’s fairness.

Last year, farming and food leaders penned an open letter to supermarkets, decrying buying practices as “imbalanced, short-term, and wasteful.” The letter highlighted instances of supermarkets rejecting entire crops at the last minute, leaving farmers without payment and struggling to survive.

Source: AFP