Dr Neil Hudson MP has signed an open letter from over 100 cross-party MPs calling on supermarkets to highlight the very best of British produce by incorporating a ‘Buy British’ section online.
The letter, co-ordinated by Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans and supported by 110 cross-Party MPs, 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’.
The MPs say the change could be achieved ‘by the click of a mouse’, with many shops already labelling British products, therefore the online change is simply bringing the produce to the fore in a 'one-stop online shop' for the public to better identify homegrown produce.
These proposed measures tie in with Dr Hudson's recent work shining a light on the UK's food security. The war in Ukraine, the pandemic and inflationary pressures throughout supply chains has caused difficulties for producers and consumers alike.
Dr Hudson triggered an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into Food Security with the resulting report calling on domestic production to be prioritised to keep the nation well fed with affordable, nutritious and locally sourced food. From boosting seasonal agricultural working visas to promoting domestic CO2 production which is vital for the fresh food supply chain, Dr Hudson put his name to many reccommendations to Government. You can read more about the report here: www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/commons-efra-committee-mps-shine-spotlight-food-security
Signing this important cross-party letter is the natural progression for Dr Hudson's campaign, putting onus on the private sector as well as Government to fight for UK food security.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
"Buying British produce helps grow the economy, cut our carbon footprints and bolster the nation's food security. The public understands this and so a simple change of a webpage will help ensure home grown food is easily identifiable to consumers so they can better support the British farmers who work tirelessly to keep the nation well-fed with nutritious food.
"We are making great progress with Government bolstering food security and so I urge supermarkets to get on board with our campaign and look after our brilliant food producers right across the UK."
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.
Dr Luke Evans, MP for Bosworth, added:
“The ‘Buy British’ section is a small and clear change which shows support for our farmers while allowing consumers to make an easy, informed choice.
“Farmers say the best way to support them is simple: buy British produce. Supermarkets are keen to support our food producers and we know the public want to play their part, but this easy signposting doesn’t currently exist for millions of people who do their food shop online.
“Buying British is good for local food producers, good for the environment and good for consumer choice. It’s a win all round.”
Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers Union, added:
“We have been asking retailers to commit to signposting British produce for a number of years, so it’s great to see MPs and their constituents getting behind the idea of a ‘Buy British tab’ online.
“We know from our own independent survey that 86% of the public want to buy more British food, but it is often tricky to determine what products are produced in the UK and this simple change would help the shoppers do that.”
