NFU urges retailers to honour their commitments to Back British Farming

01 April 2026

NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton

Following reports that New Zealand and Australian produce was positioned on shelves under signs of the Union Jack, NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton wrote an open letter to retailers about the importance of honouring their commitments to back British farming by clearly marketing British produce.

Dear retailers,

As we approach the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, when millions of consumers will be buying their traditional Sunday roast dinner, I am writing to urge you to continue honouring your commitments to back British farming.

We know that 86% of British consumers want to buy more British food, and 89% say British farms should grow as much food as possible to support national food security.

With this in mind, surely now is the perfect time to put your commitments into action?

The importance of this issue was brought into sharp focus this week when it was brought to our attention that British roasting joints were being mixed with New Zealand and Australian produce, positioned on shelves under signs of the Union Jack.

There are important actions that retailers can take to clearly signpost the origin of produce on shelves, including high-quality British produce, to help customers make informed choices about the food available to them in the limited time they have in store. These include merchandising and arranging products by country of origin, clear on-pack labelling and the accurate use of flags such as the Union Jack.

When a consumer chooses to buy British, they must feel confident that the product they are putting in their shopping basket originates from where store signage indicates.

This should be the case both in-store and online.

British farmers like myself are proud to continue to produce high-quality beef and lamb and look forward to working with retailers across the country to meet consumer demand.

Yours sincerely

David Barton 
NFU Livestock Board Chair
 

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