Labour MPs are imagining ways to tackle UK food shortages by making supermarkets pay farmers a fair price. In essence, Shadow Environment Secretary Jim McMahon says supermarkets make enough to soak up cost of supporting farmers. An incoming Labour administration would expect big grocery chains to show ‘more flex’ and offer more support when negotiating food prices with UK producers.
McMahon calls for a “relationship of equals” between supermarkets and the British farmers they buy from. He wants to bring an end to the fruit and vegetable shortages that have led to empty supermarket shelves and rationing this year. It follows warnings that onions could soon be the latest vegetable UK shoppers face problems getting hold of.
“The government have essentially outsourced our food security to the major supermarkets,” McMahon said. “Whenever there are empty shelves, they say ‘well the supermarkets just need to sort that out’. They completely step away from their responsibility to make sure we have domestic food security here in the UK.”
He suggested that some supermarket chains were guilty of “poor practice” and bought from abroad rather than supporting UK farmers. In those cases, a Labour government would intervene.
Source: inews.co.uk