Our thinking

“Farmwashing” exposed

4 October, 2024

British farmers have launched a campaign against “farmwashing,” exposing what they see as deceptive marketing practices. “Farmers Against Farmwashing” calls out big supermarkets for using fake farm brands and Union Jack imagery to mislead customers into believing they’re buying from small, independent British producers when products may have come from so-called “mega farms” or overseas.

Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic Farmers and campaign leader, warns:  “British farming is at a breaking point. The public cares deeply about where their food comes from — the supermarkets know this and are using that trust to steal farmer stories and to hoodwink shoppers into thinking they are buying from those small-scale, traditional British farms.”

While he clearly has a point to prove, this practice threatens to turn conscious consumers into unwitting accomplices in the decline of British farming. Research shows that 60% of well-meaning shoppers seek out the Union Jack on supermarket products, unknowingly supporting a system that threatens local agriculture.

Consumers have the right to demand transparency about a product’s journey from farm to shelf. To protect British farming and empower consumers, the campaign calls for honest marketing practices and clear, truthful labelling that accurately reflects product origins.

Without intervention, these deceptive practices could contribute to the demise of small-scale British farms, and well-meaning shoppers, tired of being misled, may lose faith in sustainability altogether.

By Emma Alajarin