Suppliers are too scared to complain to retailers for fear of being “delisted”, according to National Farmers’ Union vice-president Paul Temple.
Temple claimed retailers are using “crippling and unfair tactics” and called for an independent ombudsman to enforce some long-term responsibility on retailers.
Retailers have been changing prices and suppliers quickly and reworking orders with farmers halfway through six or 12-month cycles, said Temple, speaking at the Ethical shopping conference in London last week.
He also criticised the government, claiming its 2.5 per cent cut on VAT made “no sense” and they had “missed a great opportunity for investment in local suppliers allowing us to make better use of the environment”.
“We do not feel the government is taking food production seriously. Small changes in food production can make massive changes in the marketplace.
“We want to tap into the skills and resources we have in this country. Our biggest crisis is in people - if it wasn’t for migrant workers, we wouldn’t have the conditions we enjoy today,” he said.
Temple also cited water depletion as a key concern, with coastal defences being pulled down and creating flooding on wheat-fertile land. Around 70 per cent of the fresh water used in this country is used for agriculture.
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