Staffordshire farmer and founder of the Farming Forum Clive Bailye has launched a campaign against so-called #FarmWashing by supermarkets, where retailers use fake farm names on their food brands.
He argues that the brands such as Tesco’s Boswell Farms beef, Woodside Farms pork and Redmere Farms vegetables are deliberately deceiving for customers and should be made illegal. As part of his campaign his is calling for clear food labelling that doesn’t deceive shoppers, as well as a requirement for supermarkets to stock a minimum percentage of British food and stopping them buying UK farm produce below the cost of production.
“None of these farms exist. All are works of fiction by Tesco supermarkets,” Mr Bailye said on social media. “This farmwashing practice should be made illegal.”
A spokesperson for Tesco told Farmers Weekly, “We are proud to be British agriculture’s biggest customer and are a leading supporter of the thousands of British farmers who provide our customers with quality, affordable produce year-round. These brands are named to represent the quality specifications that go into every product.”
Commenting on X, campaign group No Farmers, No Food said on X: ‘The UK government should legislate that supermarkets must immediately stop farmwashing in order to fool shoppers into thinking that certain food products come from British family farms when the food actually comes from overseas. Stop supermarket farmwashing now.’
