Food is something that we enjoy and so many of us take for granted. Farmers are the unsung heroes who grow or raise our food sources, but each and every year the farmer’s life is getting more and more difficult. In this article, Iona, member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group informs us about these every day champions.
Whether you’re vegan or a meat lover, gluten free or a vegetarian, we’re all in this together and we all have one thing in common: we need to eat. As the musician Andy Cato said, “We are fed thanks to the eternal optimism of the farmer.” The problem is many farmers in the UK are at the brink of ruin right now, for a wide variety of reasons.
From government policy shifts and solar panels to a mental health crisis and farm- washing, UK food security and farmers are threatened from all angles. Why, though, does this matter?
30-50% of our food is flown or shipped in from abroad, using modern planet-polluting transport methods, making us a net importer in almost every category. Not only does eating UK-produced food remove the need for shuttling food around on this scale, the farmers who produce it are the heroes of our countryside. Managing the landscape, protecting biodiversity and caring for the environment are all key components of a farmer’s job description whether most people realise it or not.
UK food also means food produced to relatively higher standards than that of other countries – in terms of animal welfare and food safety as well as the environment. As an example, imported chicken from other competitors is generally cheaper than home reared poultry, but this is down to lower producer costs because the birds get less space in the barns.
So, if more consumers chose products on the basis of origin rather than price or convenience, we could cut our imports figure closer to that of somewhere like France. A country with an agricultural industry similar to ours, France sources only 20% of its food internationally, clearly showing which of our two countries is more committed to eating in support of its environment – and its economy as well.
While protecting the planet is paramount, economic factors do rank high on the list of reasons why people are choosing local British food. After all, the farming industry generates billions of pounds of income for our strangled economy. This could be lost if predictions from last year come true: a survey showed more than 1 in 10 farmers could quit in 12 months, leading to 1000s of tonnes of produce wasted, local livelihoods destroyed, and important income to the country halted.
All this wouldn’t be the only blow to the economy. If farmers went bankrupt, we would no longer have the option of buying food from UK producers, and therefore would be forced to look abroad. This can be cheaper – but we’ve seen some reasons why – the welfare and standards tend to be lower.
Furthermore, in this time of increasing international danger, when no one knows who to trust, food security has to come before cost. The storm of tariffs and fluctuating prices which have threatened to launch the global economy into an abyss of uncertainty are a warning sign. In 2023 alone, food price inflation reached its highest point in 40 years at 19.1% following shocks to energy prices as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a Conference a few weeks ago in Davos, “A country that can’t feed itself…has few options.” Had the UK been more resilient in producing food domestically, such shocks would have had less effect.
This issue, however, isn’t just about being fair to ourselves in attempting to ensure global disruptions aren’t threatening our food supplies. It’s also about justice for farmers – in giving ourselves the opportunity to cut out exploitative global companies who don’t care about the welfare of the people who produce our food. The closer we as consumers are to the farmers, the more profit they can get, since there’s no 3rd party making money out of farmers’ need to support themselves and our need to eat. So clearly, to protect the environment, the economy, and individuals in agriculture, we must support our farmers.
How concerned, though, should we be that farmers are on the way to ruin?
The hard truth is that the odds are against farmers – against these everyday heroes we can’t live without.
While farmers fight for our environment and countryside, the forces of nature they live by and work in tune with seem to be turning against this sector of our economy.
Climate change-induced crises, such as flooding, drought and pests have battered farmers’ endurance and abilities, meaning every season is a storm of battles to win and every harvest is a race against the elements.
In 2025, arable farmers lost around £800 million due to heat and drought. Add to this the estimated £1 billion in revenue farmers missed out on due to extreme weather in 2024, and the picture builds up to a realistic view of the word defining most farmers’ everyday lives – hardship.
Persevering despite the stress of being on the “frontline” of climate change when also confronted with unstable government policy only robs farmers of resources and energy at a time when their stability is already shaken. Subsidy changes in the wake of Brexit, and labour shortages exacerbated by the pandemic, rocked farmers to the core even before over 6000 farming business closed as a result of the government’s pre-U-turn Inheritance Tax Policy.
Plummeting confidence in agriculture harms farmers too. In the last couple of years, farmers have been struggling to hire workers, with 5 in 6 reporting few or no applicants. Less machinery investment on top of labour shortages mean farmers have less and less to work with – yet the difficulties they face mount at a horrifying pace.
This is especially the case due to the policies of supermarkets. These giant million-makers have the power to squeeze the life out of farmers – or to invigorate them with fair treatment. Unfortunately, all of the main supermarkets, including Aldi, Tesco and Asda, have been accused of unjust treatment of farmers. In some cases, farmers claim they have been making less than 1p profit per product. 65% of farmers in one survey felt supermarkets were forcing them to trade unfairly, including unreasonable cosmetic standards – supermarkets want their veg to look pretty because they think we will be more convinced to buy it. As well as supermarkets paying their farmers too little, some have also been known to get involved in farm-washing.
Farm-washing is a scary concept for consumers. Products are labelled with combinations of flags and British-sounding source names to deceive us into thinking we’re getting a local product. Turn the packaging to the reverse – and you’ll see it’s really from abroad.
This shows that farmers are cheated on more than just price and trade terms.
With all these factors considered, the 30% of farmers who reported no profit in 2024/2025 could be a sign of what’s to come. Every other farmer (51%) has considered leaving the sector, and nearly everyone (95% according to a survey) fears that in the next 10 years, we’ll see the number of family-run farms take a sharp dive.
When fenced into a grim life of little reward by such seemingly-insurmountable difficulties, the lure of land-use for something that’s not agriculture can be tempting – and many farmers fall for giving up traditional land use. Solar farm companies pay great sums of easy cash to farmers as rent for their land, giving 4 to 5 times more profit than growing normal crops – and a reliable stream of income. These massive money incentives are gripping more of those who haven’t considered the future – or the landscape and diverse nature they otherwise protect.
Climate change, unfair relationships, and the economy all play huge roles in threatening our farmers and food security. However, we’re yet to consider the worst factor of all: the mental health crisis among farmers. With long working hours and loneliness added to the crushing pressures they face day by day, it’s hardly surprising that 95% of farmers under the age of 40 list mental health as a major challenge, and only 55% of farmers overall feel positively about their mental health. With limited access rurally to specialist mental health services, there’s little some farmers can do to escape.
The task of rescuing farmers is one that falls to us as consumers primarily. In fact, it’s down to us to protect these heroes and give them what they deserve, because after all, we’re the only ones who can decide what we buy, and where we buy it from.
The problem, though, is this: for many of us food choice is about price and convenience, but we must also consider our preferences – and hopefully we’ve expanded these to include a love for our environment and an empathy for those who work with it permanently.
- Maybe our tastes should result in putting our money where our heart is – in protecting our environment, food security and economy through our farmers.
So the boredom of shopping trips, online or physical is a thing of the past. From now on, we can anticipate being the difference – to ourselves, to others and to our environment. Buying food can be an empowering task – including for young people! When you want an item that can be grown in the UK’s climate, buy seasonal, and check the labels. The Red Tractor is a sure safety symbol that the food is British-produced. Buying local and seasonal means more profit goes directly to the producer – a producer can earn 5 times as much on a loaf of bread bought from a small independent shop than from a supermarket – as an example. Don’t forget farm-washing either, where supermarkets trick us about food origins.
- Share pictures on social media where products from abroad are packaged to look British when really the back of the packaging tells a different story – the truth. Tell your friends you’re eating and shopping in support of those who feed us all.
We can be the difference ourselves, now, today. Spread the message across the landscape: back British farming, rather than lose it, to save the planet and our food supply before it’s too late.
Different Views
As with any issue, there are various ways of coming to the problem of farmers and agriculture in general. Despite having no background whatsoever in agriculture, I happen to believe in traditional farming, and therefore come to the topic from that perspective. I am aware that others of us have different views: for example, I know people who are vegan or vegetarian, and so are against animals living on farms. Other people might feel that hydroponic or other modern farming methods are worthwhile considering. While in my opinion traditional farming is better, I value the idea that the more you disagree with someone, the more worthwhile it is to hear their side of the issue in question. Even though we may well not be convinced by each other’s arguments, at least we have all learned something, and it may even be that we have each realised new reasons to back up our own ideas. So, I would be very interested to hear from any of you who disagree with anything I have written. Perhaps someone would even like to do a response article about why they believe I am incorrect!
After all, civilised debate and conversation is all part of a healthy democracy.
Iona
Not just elected members
Did you know that Somerset Youth Parliament isn’t just it’s elected members? Any young person in Somerset aged 10-25 years can become a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group.
For more information about becoming a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group and to join, visit our Join Us page.
