You helped us take our Get Fair About Farming petition to Parliament
On Monday 22nd January, our #GetFairAboutFarming petition, signed by over 113,000 people, was debated in Parliament. Our founder Guy was there to champion the cause, with 49 scarecrows in tow - representing the 49% of fruit and veg growers who fear they will go out of business.
Thank you so much to all who have helped us get this far. The road to a real solution may be long, but our message was unmistakeably heard - and we'll be making sure it stays that way. Our mission isn't over yet.
Farmers, help us achieve a fairer supply chain by giving evidence
Farmers and growers, you now have the opportunity to give your own evidence to an independent committee on fairness in supply chains. You can do this anonymously and confidentially.
Personal testimony is uniquely powerful. It can inform a Committee's thinking in a way that other types of evidence just can't. The Committee would really like to hear from food producers who have been directly affected, so that they can understand these issues from a personal perspective.
There are two ways to give evidence: in person or by email.
Attend in person
The EFRA Committee is holding a private session for growers to give evidence on Tuesday 30th April 2024. Info about attending can be found in this PDF
The Committee can also accept testimony by email. Please note on your email if you wish to remain anonymous.
Email efracom@parliament.ukFull guidance on submitting evidence by email can be found on the UK Parliament website
Your support has brought us this far, and we're hoping you'll help us make one final push.
By giving your personal testimony to the EFRA Committee, you could help us push the government to make reforms and bring fairness, honesty, and decency back into the UK's supply chains.
Let's keep the momentum rolling. Your voice matters. Together, we can make sure our farming community gets the fair treatment it deserves.
Riverford's Fair to Farmers Charter
We're asking all supermarkets to commit to these 5 sourcing principles.
Almost half (49%) of British fruit and veg farmers fear they will go out of business within the next 12 months. 75% report that supermarket behaviour is a leading factor.*
If all supermarkets committed to these principles, the lives of farmers would be transformed - giving them stability, a reliable income, and protecting the future of British food and farming for the long term.
Click each principle to read more
Buy what you committed to buy
Farmers grow entire crops at supermarkets' request, only to be told, once it's ready and harvested, that they don't want it anymore. Buyers should make firm promises to buy, and keep those promises.
Pay on time
UK farmers often have to wait up to 12 weeks to be paid - a practice that's illegal in the EU. Buyers should pay as quickly as practically possible, guaranteeing farmers a regular, reliable income.
Commit for the long term
Farmers should be able to invest in their businesses with confidence, and not live with the constant anxiety of short-term contracts. Supermarkets should build long-term relationships with farmers, unless there are good reasons to look elsewhere. If they do need to change suppliers, they should give good notice, and honour all agreed purchases.
Agree on fair specifications
Fair specifications (the standards for a crop, defining size, shape, and so on) should be agreed together - balancing the buyer's knowledge of what customers want, with the farmer's expertise about the crop. Buyers should never use unreasonable claims about quality to wriggle out of a commitment to buy.
Pay what you agreed to pay
Farmers are sometimes told one price when agreeing to grow a crop, and later told that they will receive much less. Buyers should always honour the price that was agreed on; a fair price, reflecting the true cost of farming.
Case study
A farmer spoke to us about his experiences growing for supermarkets - but only on the condition that it was anonymous. He grew 60 tonnes of salad potatoes for a large UK supermarket. Upon harvest, the supermarket decided they were no longer interested in that specific variety, and cancelled the order - leaving a huge amount of food with no home, and the farmer financially screwed.
Our mission
Almost half (49%) of British fruit and veg farmers fear they will go out of business within the next 12 months. 75% report that supermarket behaviour is a leading factor.* Farmers live with constant uncertainty; never knowing what they will be paid or when, how much of a crop will be bought, or whether it will be rejected altogether.
Riverford are farmers ourselves, so we know this first-hand. And after years of being treated badly by supermarkets, we found a way to do things better. Over the last 35 years, we've created a revolutionary supply chain for our veg boxes that is transparent and fair to all.
Now we want all UK farmers to enjoy the same conditions we do. That's why we're encouraging major supermarkets to commit to the principles enshrined in our Fair to Farmers Charter, and get fair about farming.
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 with buyers were unbalanced, short-term, wasteful, and abusive.
As our business grew, we became a substantial buyer ourselves - mostly from small family farms, many of whose commercial future and prosperity are dependent on us.
We swore that we would never treat them how we were treated.
GUY SINGH-WATSON
That's why we created our Fair to Farmers Charter, setting down the principles that have allowed us to create fair, beneficial relationships with our suppliers - protecting those principles forever.
This campaign is supported by...
