Large retailers and the supply chain must do more to ensure words on sustainability are backed up with action.

NFFN farmers have spoken out after a group of high-ranking figures from within the food sector said that supply chains and retailers were failing to back up their environmental and climate promises on meat and dairy with action.

The report by Inside Track, titled An Insider’s Guide to Meat and Dairy, claims that while the industry has signed up to commitments on sustainability and health, in practice its commercial strategies favour industrialisation, intensification, and imported cheap foods produced to lower welfare standards.

NFFN farmers say they share much of this frustration, citing challenges including unfair pricing, limited understanding of lower-input and nature-friendly farming systems, and a lack of clear information for shoppers.

NFFN England chair and Cumbrian organic dairy farmer James Robinson said: "Farmers are currently receiving worrying messages from the supply chain. Businesses that once proudly declared their commitment to British meat are now responding to consumer demand by looking to source it from other parts of the world instead.

"When you go to the supermarket, you see large photographs of farmers doing all sorts of wonderful things for food and the environment. While that may be true for a few, most farmers are tied into pricing structures and supply contracts that don't reflect those glossy images.