UK: Sustain Calls For New Routes to Market for Growers Monopolized by Big Retailers

17 May 2017 --- A new initiative that aims to make it easier for consumers to choose better food and support farmers has been launched - The Better Food Traders network has been formed to support sustainable alternatives and challenge the dominance of the UK’s big retailers.

According to the alliance for better food and farming Sustain, the initiative challenges the despondency amongst farmers wanting a new fairer, appreciative route to market. Better Food Traders (BFT) aims to be “changing the way food works so it's fair, sustainable and better for all our futures”.

In its early days, the initiative has 12 food traders on its books ranging from the box based Crop Share scheme in Burnley Lancashire (which takes Healthy Start Vouchers) to the Growing Communities initiative in north London which includes a fruit and veg pick up scheme; an organic Farmers' Market (with 25 farmers and producers) and patchwork farms.  

By supporting BFT, says Sustain, can build a new vision for a “diverse, fairer food system that allows citizens and consumers to reward good producers by buying their food and to have a far closer relationship than the norm.”

“And the shorter the chain the better the communication and the less likely there is for confusion or even contamination and loss of quality. Sustain and others are helping BFT grow and make a difference,” it says. 

Sustain urges shoppers to buy from BFT members which in turn gives farmers and growers a fuller range of customers to sell to. 

The campaign group is also calling for a farm and trade policy to better support local initiatives supplying local food traders as well as changes to planning regulations to curb what it describes as the “rapacious growth” of superstores at local level.