‘Scarecrows’ protest outside Parliament ahead of grocery supply chain debate

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. We urge the Government to take action now to safeguard the future of British agriculture.” William White, sustainable farming campaign co-ordinator at Sustain, said: “Riverford’s scarecrow protest sends a stark message: only strong regulation from the Government can ensure farmers get a fair deal for the food they produce.” Nick Marston, the chairman of industry body British Berry Growers, said a survey suggested two thirds of growers had little confidence in their future. Growers are struggling with static returns and ever-increasing costs, especially labour costs Nick Marston, British Berry Growers The cost of production had increased by 18p per 400g pack since 2021, and while retail shelf prices had risen by 27p pack over this period – an increase of 14.8% – average grower returns were up by just 2.3% or 3.6p. We also need to impose rules to prevent legislation avoidance by retailers by inserting service providers into the chain and for Government to take a strong line on protocol breaches.” British Retail Consortium director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, said: “Food retailers source, and will continue to source, the vast majority of their food from the UK and know they need to pay a sustainable price to farmers. However, retailers are also facing additional costs and are working incredibly hard to limit price increases for consumers during a cost-of-living crisis where many people are struggling to afford the essentials.” A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Our fruit and vegetable farmers are crucial to the resilience of our food system to the wider economy, with 60% of all the food we need being produced in the UK.