On Friday 31st May, Tescos, Sainsburys, and Morrisons stores around Derbyshire were decorated by Vegans Support the Farmers with posters calling out the mistreatment of farmers.
The posters featured versions of the text “screwing over British farmers”, these were in the same style as used by supermarkets to market themselves to the public as supporting British farmers.
Vegans Support the Farmers is an Animal Rising project that aims to work with farmers on fairer treatment from supermarkets. Farmers are not paid fairly for their produce and their contracts are extremely biassed in favour of the supermarkets.
At 3 supermarkets in Derbyshire, Vegans Support the Farmers placed posters outside with versions of the text “screwing over British farmers”. Vegans Support the Farmers is an Animal Rising project that’s increasing awareness around the challenges many farmers face, as well as raising money for young farmer mental health initiatives, and also breaking down barriers between vegans and farmers to enable them to work constructively together [1].
Farmers are facing an extremely challenging financial period, exacerbated by the treatment given to them from supermarkets. According to a report from Sustain, farmers are often left with less than 1p of profits for their produce when they supply supermarkets [2].
With the prolonged wet weather wreaking havoc for farmers, it is vitally important that they are paid fairly for whatever produce they are able to produce in these terrible conditions if they face a chance at keeping a viable business going [3] [4].
Vegans Support the Farmers joined the farming protests in London this year that called for greater support from the Government on a number of issues - at the tractor rally they handed out free food and joined in by dressing up as fruit and veg in the back of an open top truck [5] [6].
Kerri Waters, 40, Vegans Support the Farmers co-founder, said:
“Supermarkets claiming to back British farmers is nothing more than a marketing ploy to appeal to customers, as in reality while they often buy from British farmers they definitely do not treat them fairly or with respect. When supermarkets increase prices they need to pass on this uplift to the farmers, otherwise it just isn’t sustainable for their farms to continue.
We are seeing an alarming number of farms go out of business at the moment, this is going to really impact our food security as we continue to battle extreme weather and try to turn the tide on the climate emergency.”
ENDS
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Who Are Animal Rising:
Animal Rising are working towards a plant-based food system by taking nonviolent direct action and running grassroots campaigns, such as Plant-Based Universities and Councils. This is necessary as an urgent response to the climate and nature emergencies, and to achieve animal freedom.
Who Are Vegans Support the Farmers:
Vegans Support the Farmers is an Animal Rising project that backs farmer-led demands to help address the key issues as part of its work for a safe, just and kind food system. The project hopes to break down barriers between vegans and farmers to come to a place of understanding and collaboration. By stepping in to support farmer issues directly, and providing real support, it hopes to build a basis of trust between the vegan and farming communities. It is raising money for Young Farmers, a network building community among the next generation of farmers, which is really vital to their mental health. Through raising money for this network of groups, we hope to both extend support to, and build relationships with, real people on the ground.
Notes to Editor: