Three major supermarkets have moved away from their commitments to source British beef. In recent weeks, the NFU has become aware of beef from Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand hitting the shelves in Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.聽
This shift in retailer sourcing commitments comes at a time when British farmers are already facing an unprecedented number of challenges. And coupled with concerns over recent trade deals, further undermine the high standards of production that British farmers adhere to.
This will also come as a blow to the public, who we know want to buy more British food from retailers.
British livestock farmers adhere to robust standards, and consumers wanting confidence in the meat they are buying can look for the Red Tractor logo carrying the Union Jack.
Warm words ring hollow
NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 deeply concerning to see major retailers now move away from their previous commitments to sourcing British in the last few weeks in favour of imports, many of which have been produced to lower standards. Farmers鈥� long-standing partnerships with retailers have supported sustainable supply chains, so this shift is alarming.
鈥淥ver the past year, the industry has heard warm words from almost every major retailer pledging support for British farmers. But these words ring hollow when British produce is not given pride of place on shelves.
鈥淒ecisions to renege on sourcing commitments erode trust and damage farmer confidence at a time when the sector is facing immense challenges, and with increased global insecurity, the need to build sustainable food supply chains has never been more important.
鈥淏ritish farmers have invested in higher standards such as reducing antibiotic use in beef and lowering poultry stocking densities in sheds. Consumers want these high-quality production systems, shown by over one million people signing our petition for import standards to match the UK鈥檚.
鈥淏ut delivering these standards comes with additional financial costs. Long-term sourcing commitments from retailers are essential to ensuring that the high welfare British food consumers want remains available.鈥澛�
