SLE supports new bill aiming to secure fair deal for farmers

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, has welcomed a new Bill proposed by Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, designed to ensure fairer returns for farmers in Scotland and across the UK within the food supply chain.

The Food Products (Market Regulation and Public Procurement) Bill, known as the Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill, is being introduced today to the House of Commons with a ten-minute speech.

The Bill aims to redress the current imbalance between food producers and food retailers, while boosting food security and offering a lifeline for many small farms that are struggling to make ends meet.

Eleanor Kay, Senior Policy Adviser for Scottish Land & Estates, said: “The introduction of a Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill would help ensure that the production of healthy, high-quality food is justly rewarded, in a fair and competitive market. For too long, it has been felt that supermarkets have wielded excessive power, reaping disproportionate profits while farmers face financial hardship. We commend Alistair Carmichael for this initiative which offers Scottish and UK food producers a more sustainable financial footing and boosts our food security.”

Poor returns in the farming sector prevent investment and hold back local producers, according to SLE. A reduction in the beef herd in Orkney led to the closure of the island’s only abattoir, setting in motion a further downward spiral of increasing costs and loss of jobs for the island’s livestock sector. This ultimately led to the loss of provenance that the Orkney Gold brand provided.

The Bill aims to shorten supply chains and encourage local authorities, central government and the public to buy local food. It also aligns with the recently passed Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act which proposed the introduction of national and local ‘good food plans’.

In addition, food security targets would become statutory, including provisions within the Sustainable Development Goals to end hunger, improve nutrition and make agriculture more sustainable.

Eleanor Kay added: “We fully support any legislation that strengthens the economic foundation of UK food production. Collectively, these measures would offer farmers fairer returns, enable long-term investment, and secure the future of our food supply.”