UK supermarkets are being urged to create standalone ‘Buy British’ sections on their websites to make it easier for consumers to find home-grown produce online and support UK farmers.
The online section would gather produce from UK farmers to help consumers find these items more “quickly and easily”.
Over 110 MPs are set to sign an open letter urging retailers to further encourage shoppers to purchase UK-grown food.
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Among those backing the initiative are two former environment secretaries, Conservative Theresa Villiers and Labour’s Hilary Benn.
The letter said: “British farmers work hard all year round to ensure our nation’s food security, are crucial in supporting strong local economies and have been instrumental in preserving and protecting our environment.
“Eating food produced in the UK also drastically cuts down on the carbon produced when importing goods from elsewhere.”
Bosworth MP Dr Evans said: “Farmers say the best way to support them is simple: buy British produce. The public want to know more about where their food comes from and how it’s produced… but this easy signposting doesn’t currently exist.”
Sainsbury’s currently offers a page dedicated to ‘British produce’ across fruit and vegetables while Waitrose offers a tab for ‘beautifully British fruit and veg’ and ‘British regional cheese’.
But most UK supermarkets do not have a page on their websites dedicated to a range of British products.
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