Labour MPs call for mandatory food origin labels to back British farmers

Rural Labour MPs are pressing Defra to deliver mandatory food origin labelling within 100 days, warning that misleading labels are leaving shoppers confused and British farmers at a disadvantage.

More than 40 MPs in the Labour Rural Research Group have backed the call, supported by the Countryside Alliance, as part of a renewed push for so-called Honest Labelling.

The group wants Defra to introduce mandatory origin and manufacturing labelling on food products sold in the UK.

Campaigners say clearer labels would help consumers identify British produce, support domestic food production and make it harder for imported products to benefit from vague or misleading claims.

The call forms part of the LRRG’s wider Farming Profitability Campaign, which aims to improve trading conditions and profitability for British farmers by the end of this parliament.

The group wants the UK to adopt a system modelled on Australia’s Made in Australia scheme, which has operated for nearly a decade and is recognised by 99% of Australian shoppers.

The proposal would make it clearer where food comes from and where it has been manufactured, giving shoppers more information at the point of purchase. Campaigners argue that the policy could be announced within 100 days, with new labels potentially appearing on shelves from 2028.

They say supermarkets, farmers and animal welfare organisations are already aligned behind the push for clearer food labelling.

The campaign says Defra has previously estimated implementation costs at less than £4m, while modelling from 2024 put the potential benefit to farmers’ incomes at £48m.

Backers argue that clearer labelling would give shoppers more power to choose British food without adding to cost-of-living pressure. Consumers would still decide whether to pay for premium products, but would be better protected from confusing or misleading claims.

The proposal is also intended to help British farmers compete more fairly against imported food produced to different standards.

The campaign has attracted support from major retailers, including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, suggesting there is already some industry backing for clearer origin rules. Supporters say mandatory labelling would reward producers and retailers who take pride in the origin and standards of their products.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said the organisation strongly welcomed the campaign from the Labour Rural Research Group.

He said: “The Countryside Alliance has long campaigned for clearer food labelling and a fairer marketplace for British farmers, so we strongly welcome this campaign from the Labour Rural Research Group.”

Mr Bonner said confusing labelling had made it harder for consumers to support British produce.

He added: “For too long, confusing and misleading labelling has made it harder for consumers to support British produce, while farmers have been undercut by imports.”

He said measures to deliver honest labelling and a level playing field were “essential” if the UK was serious about backing British farming, improving transparency and maintaining high welfare standards.

Mr Bonner added: “This is a positive step towards giving farmers a fair return for the high-quality food they produce and helping shoppers make informed choices with confidence.”

Noah Law, Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay, also backed the call, linking it to the government’s wider farming plans.

He said: “I welcome the Farming Roadmap and specifically the commitment to at least maintain and support domestic levels of food production in England, and our Labour Rural research groups calls for Honest Labelling will ensure that consumers can play their part in backing British farmers.”

Mr Law added: “If we bring in Honest Labelling, farmers win, animals win, and shoppers win.”

The LRRG says Honest Labelling is one strand of its Farming Profitability Campaign, alongside work on regulatory fairness through its Levelling the Playing Field initiative.

Campaigners say the issue has become increasingly important after years of concern over trade deals, imports and food sold under labelling that does not always make the product’s origin clear. They argue that mandatory labelling would send a clear signal that the government backs British farmers and wants shoppers to be able to make informed choices.

The campaign now puts pressure on Defra to decide whether clearer country-of-origin labels should become a central part of its wider plan to improve farm profitability and food transparency.