Farming petition calling for fairer deal reaches 75,000 signatures

As the petition edges closer to 100,000 signatures, the pressure is mounting for supermarkets to act by committing to provide real change

Over 75,000 people have signed a petition urging the country's biggest supermarkets and their suppliers to treat British farmers more fairly.

An open letter was sent to the CEOs of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl over six weeks ago warning that the farming industry was “on its knees”.

Despite the time that has passed, not one of the supermarket chiefs has acknowledged the #GetFairAboutFarming campaign, which was launched by organic farming company Riverford.

Campaigners behind it want the UK's largest supermarkets to adopt new principles as a way of spreading fair trade across the industry more widely.

With the supporting petition reaching over 75,000 signatures, the general public are still sending a clear message to the country's 'big six' retailers.

Green Party peer Natalie Bennett, the former leader of the party, has also backed the campaign and has raised it in the House of Lords.

She says: "A handful of big supermarkets have a huge - a dominant - role in British life, their actions crucial in the cost-of-living crisis, for food security in an insecure world, and the fate of farmers and the countrywide.

"With that power comes responsibility to engage with their critics and questioners, not to ignore them.

"Society has privileged the supermarkets, carries many of the costs their choices impose on it - from waste disposal to congestion, and in return deserves openness and honesty."

One of the key asks from the campaign is for the government to amend the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCP).

The amendment would see supermarkets required to buy what they agreed to buy, pay what they agreed to pay, and pay on time, without exception.

Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic, said there was a clear message being sent to the ‘big six’ and the government to safeguard the future of British farmers.

He said: “Despite the encouraging public support, the lack of a mere acknowledgement from the ‘big six’ is insulting at a time when British agriculture is on its knees.

“Our countryside is being desecrated because that’s the only way you can produce ‘cheap food’ and farmers in my sector are not being paid fairly.

“With the petition edging closer to 100,000 supporters, the pressure further increases on supermarkets to act now and avoid having their poor practices exposed to the nation in a debate in parliament.”

The public can show their support for the campaign by signing the online petition.