Lichfield and Burntwood MP tells supermarkets to share their profits fairly with farmers

Mr Robertson is among 46 Labour MPs to write a joint letter to the "big six" supermarket chains to call on chains to guarantee a “fairer deal” and prices for farmers.  

The MPs claim that those supermarkets made a combined £5 billion in pre-tax profit last year – yet they often pay farmers just 1p of profit on the food items they produce. 

Mr Robertson,  MP for Lichfield, Burntwood and the surrounding villages, said: “Farmers who work hard day in, day out, should expect to see a fair return on the food they sell to supermarkets.” 

 “British farmers produce some of the highest quality produce in the world. Farmers who work hard day in, day out should expect to see a fair return on the food they sell to supermarkets. 

“This isn’t about more expensive food on supermarket shelves – it's about ensuring that the farmers who grow and rear the food we eat get their fair share. “It’s not right that massive supermarket companies earn mega profits while family farms are struggling to survive.”  

The letter states: “In a world where farmers and producers are struggling to make a living and relying on Government grants and subsidies so that they can survive from one year to the next, this can’t be seen as fair or right.”   

It further states that some supermarkets do not pay corporation tax in Britain, meaning they are not contributing their fair share to those subsidies but leaving the burden on working people.

The MPs also criticised the practice of “farmwashing”, where labes gives consumers the false impression that products are locally sourced, when they are in fact imported or produced on huge industrial farms and not family-run operations.  They claim that this practice undermines the credibility of British agriculture.