Supermarket farmwashing is masking a harsh reality – the decline of Britain’s small family farms. Walk around your local supermarket. You might notice the Union Jack proudly displayed in the fruit & veg aisle, and farm brands such as Tesco’s Redmere Farms. The reality? Much of the produce under those British flags will be imported, or from a mega-farm and Redmere Farm doesn't exist. This misleading marketing is called farmwashing and it needs to stop, because it undermines real British family farmers who are struggling to survive. We’re asking the supermarkets to show a little integrity, be transparent with their sourcing and offer real support for Britain’s family farmers, before it’s too late.
On your next supermarket visit, do you think you could tell the difference between a real farm and a fake one, or recognise fruit & veg that is imported versus grown on British farms? We've called on some farmer friends to help you discover where your food truly comes from.
Farmers speaking up
We’ve brought together real farmers to call out supermarket farmwashing. Watch these short videos by farmers Jimmy Doherty, Hannah Jackson (aka The Red Shepherdess), Ben Andrews (aka Farmer Ben), Zoe Colville (aka The Chief Shepherdess) and her husband Kriss Woodhead (aka The Super Serious Farmer).
Episode 1
What is Farmwashing?
Our farmers shed some light on the supermarket practice of farmwashing, how you can spot it and why you should care.
Episode 2
The Hunt for British
There’s lots of Union Jacks in the aisles – but how much real British produce can Zoe and Kriss find?
Episode 3
Fake Farm Brands
Ben looks at supermarket ‘fake farm brands’ and the impact they have on real small-scale farmers.
Episode 4
The Rise of Mega Farms
Jimmy and Hannah look into the rise and scale of intensive farming in the UK and animal welfare claims.
We asked farmers and shoppers how they feel about farmwashing and here's what they said.
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of shoppers felt distrustful and annoyed when they learned that the word 'farm' can be used by supermarkets without it being from a real farm.
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of shoppers want supermarkets to be transparent about produce and meat that is not British and sourced from abroad.
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of farmers would support a ban of 'fake farm' brands in supermarkets and say they feel under pressure from supermarkets and buyers.
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of farmers want legislation to make labelling clearer when products come from a real farm versus a fake farm.
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of farmers say their farms are at financial risk.
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of British farmers say they are likely to give up their farm in the next 18 months.
Take action
Share our videos
We need to spread the word on farmwashing and why it needs to stop. You can help by sharing our farmer videos on your social media and talking about it with your family and friends.
Email your MP
Write to your MP demanding tighter regulation of the supermarkets, to protect small British farms. We've written the email - all you need to do is press send.
Read the labels
Dig deeper. Look carefully at the labels next time you're shopping. Where was your food really grown? Are any animal welfare claims backed up by organic or free-range certification? Is it being sold under a fake farm brand?
Buy direct from farmers
Shop differently. If you're able to, spend your money at local shops rather than supermarkets - or even better, buy directly from farmers. The Farm Retail Association is a great resource for finding farm shops and farmers markets in your area.
Who are Riverford?
Riverford delivers organic veg boxes directly to homes across the UK, fresh from our own organic farms and grower friends. Before we started delivering veg boxes, we sold most of our organic veg to supermarkets. The relationships we had were unbalanced, short-term, wasteful, and abusive.
As our business grew, we became a substantial buyer ourselves – mostly from small British family farms, many of whose commercial future and prosperity are dependent on us. We ‘re determined that we will never repeat the behaviours of the supermarkets. That's why we created our ethical Supplier Charter. Unique in our industry, this charter promises fair prices, quick payments, long-term commitments, a flexible approach to specifications (wonky veg is welcome!), and more.
Meet our real Farmers
We think that small-scale organic family farms are the most sustainable way of producing food. Anything we can’t grow or make ourselves comes from our group of organic growers and producers. Working with them over the long-term means that our food is completely traceable and we are supporting farmers like ourselves and ensuring their future.
Meet our farmers on the map below
Why does farmwashing need to S.T.O.P?
Misleading marketing is having a big impact on farmers, shoppers - and ultimately, Britain's long-term food security.
hoppers deceived about their food coming from small UK farms
rust & value eroded for small farms
paque supply chains enable food fraud and catastrophic environmental damage
rices pushed down for real farmers by fake farms and cheap imports
This campaign is supported by...
