Food Miles Endorsements

This is the complete list of our endorsements so far,
although we expect this to grow.

"Using disproportionate amounts of energy to transport food to the UK from the other side of the world damages the environment. It’s important that consumers understand how the food they eat is produced and have confidence in its freshness, quality and origin. We have only one planet – and it’s important that we use its resources in the best way we can. That’s why I warmly support the Local Food is Miles Better campaign which aims to educate children about the value of locally produced, fresh and seasonal food. It’s vitally important that children learn about where the food in their school lunchbox comes from, how it is produced and why this matters."

David Miliband, secretary of state for Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

"I am a great supporter of the campaign. Buying food that has been produced locally is to everyone’s benefit. It preserves the environment through reduced pollution. It promotes human health through a cleaner environment and the consumption of fresher food, and is beneficial to the economy – especially the rural economy."

David Cameron, Leader of the Conservative Party

"Excess food miles are a big, big problem. Research by groups such as Friends of the Earth identifies them as one of the most serious issues relating to the way food is sold today. High food mileage is one more miserable manifestation of the dumbing down of our food culture and that’s why I heartily support Farmers Weekly’s campaign to address the problem. The routine over-transportation of food is not just an environmental issue. Aside from being a senseless waste of energy, it’s a symptom of the nefarious belief that we should all be able to eat whatever we want, whenever we want, and to hell with seasonality and regionality. It implies a complete lack of respect for food and means consumers get less choice and poorer quality: Produce that has to go on long journeys needs to be harvested before it’s ripe, then overchilled and overpackaged."

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, TV chef

"There is no doubt the world faces an increasingly challenging future. The best way to ensure the long term survival of a strong UK farming industry, and to reduce transport emissions and food miles, is to shop locally. By buying local food we can help to keep the countryside looking picturesque, support the high animal welfare standards upheld in the UK and share in the supply of quality, fresh produce available on our doorsteps. Any campaign which gets this message across deserves support. So get behind the campaign - local food is miles better."

Peter Kendall - President of the National Farmers' Union

"Local food is miles better. It's better for the consumer as the produce can be fresher, better for the rural economy and better for the environment."

Jeff Rooker, Junior DEFRA Minister

"Why drive for miles when local food could be on sale just around the corner? I fully support the Farmers Weekly campaign to increase the amount of fruit, vegetables and meat which is sourced from British farmers."

Ben Bradshaw, Junior DEFRA minister

"I fully support the Farmer's Weekly's Local Food is Miles Better campaign. There is so much to gain from buying our food from local sources. Consumers benefit from increased choice and a greater understanding of how food arrives at their dinner plate from the farm-gate. There are environmental benefits from reducing the miles travelled in transporting food, and economic benefits for rural Wales. It’s a win-win situation."

Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru Farming Shadow Minister,

"Good local food is great for the health of the countryside, the environment and for you. That is why I am adding my support to the Farmers Weekly Campaign, which supports British farmers."

Prof David Bellamy - botanist, writer and broadcaster

"What better way to draw attention to the importance of sustainable, quality food than through a competition aimed at young children? They are the next generation of decision makers. I hope the Farmers Weekly campaign is successful in helping to educate them about the important issue of food miles."

Ross Burden - Celebrity TV chef

"It is vital that people, young and old, make the link between the food we eat and the countryside that produces it. I am delighted Farmers Weekly's campaign is highlighting the importance of local quality food and thereby its contribution to reducing congestion and pollution from road transport."

Country Land and Business Association
- David Fursdon, president

"I wanted to add my support to your excellent FW food miles campaign. As you may know, some of our research published last year indicated how environmentally costly were domestic food miles in the UK. If consumers can buy local, and can understand where their food comes from, then it may change the nature of their understanding of the whole of the countryside. I am convinced that we need to reconnect more – and this campaign will be a great help."

Professor Jules Pretty OBE, University of Essex

“It stands to reason that food grown, sold and eaten locally must be good for consumers, their environment and their local economy. The Countryside Alliance is behind Farmers Weekly’s new campaign. It is our job to stand firmly alongside our farmers, growers and retailers.”

Countryside Alliance - Simon Hart, chief executive

"Reducing Food miles is something producers, supplier and consumers can all improve on and doing so helps reduce carbon emissions and the impact of climate change - which affects us all. Convincing the public is the key and the message needs to be communicated effectively as a matter of urgency."

Sir Don Curry - government's sustainable farming adviser

“Food miles are out of control. This is having a disastrous effect on the environment, sabotaging quality and handicapping local producers. I am 100 per cent behind the Farmers Weekly Campaign to raise awareness and bring about change.”

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones - "The Black Farmer"

"The only way to be absolutely sure that you are helping your community and the environment is to choose to buy foods grown, reared and made locally, directly from local farmers and producers. More local demand will encourage more local supply, and that’s why FARMA is very pleased to support the Farmers Weekly Food Miles campaign."

FARMA (The Farmers' Markets Association) - Gareth Jones

"I welcome this excellent iniative from Farmers Weekly. In the era of globalisation, buying local can do so much to support UK and European farming, boost the rural economy and maintain precious and unique rural structures. The countryside we know and love is founded on a healthy agricultural sector. Let's keep it that way."

Mariann Fischer Boel - EU agriculture commissioner

"Farmers Weekly’s Food Miles and local food campaign is very much needed to boost the confidence of consumers and farmers alike at a time when government support is severely lacking. People must have access to local and regional staples - not just the luxury, niche high cost items but everyday foods from a local source that do not involve vast freight trucking and carbon dioxide emmissions."

Friends of the Earth - Vicki Hird,
senior campaigner: Food and Farming

"We should be eating only home-produced food not only due to it's healthier quality but also the cost to the environment of importing food is underestimated. This campaign addresses both these issues and what I particularly like is that it is raising awareness by targeting children, the next generation, through education."

John Jeffrey - ex. Scotland rugby international and farmer

"Food miles are now an indicator in official government goals to make the UK food system more sustainable. Using food miles to think about where you shop as well as what you buy when you shop can help send messsages not just to retailers but to politicians that consumer thinking is changing."

Tim Lang - Professor of Food Policy
and inventor of 'Food Miles' term

“Local food provides consumers with safe, traceable, high quality produce which has not travelled half way round the world. Purchasing locally produced food will help to secure a sustainable future for farmers and processors and significantly help to maintain the local environment.”

NFUS (Scotland) - John Kinnaird, president

"It is utterly hypocritical for us to quite properly require our farmers to look after the environment whilst quite happily importing cheap food produced at the expense of someone else’s environment. Promoting local food production and reducing the harmful environmental impact of food miles, as advocated by Farmers Weekly, is a campaign we should all support."

Jim Paice - Shadow minister for agriculture

"Why should we have to eat food flown in from around the world, when the same products are available locally and in season? Local food is about supporting the British farmer and knowing exactly what goes into your mouth, and the mouths of your children too. Farmer’s Weekly will be doing a crucial job in helping draw attention to the issue of food miles and I wish them every success with their campaign."

Tom Parker-Bowles
- Food columnist for The Mail on Sunday and Tatler

“I am delighted to support this excellent initiative. Buying local quality produce makes so much sense with greater assurance of sourcing and support for local industry as well as its contribution in helping to bring together consumers and producers, raising awareness at every level.”

Royal Agriculutral Society of England
- Profossor John Moverley, chief exec

"The Farmers Weekly campaign is a timely and important initiative. Not only can it help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, buying locally also means that farmers will receive a fairer share of the money we pay for food, money that they can invest in looking after their land in a way that helps wildlife."

Graham Wynne - RSPB, chief exec

"The National Trust welcomes this campaign aimed at reducing food miles. Climate change is here and happening now and buying local food is an easy way we can all help tackle this, whilst enjoying high quality food that helps sustain our treasured landscapes;

Fiona Reynolds, Director General, The National Trust

"It’s high time we were all made to consider where our food comes from. I completely support the campaign."

Rick Stein - Celebrity TV chef

"Sourced locally or nationally is the best way to go, then seasonal foods are looked forward to. British ingredients, foods and know how, put the ‘Great’ into ‘Britain’. Long may it continue."

Phil Vickery - Celebrity TV chef

"Probably the most important argument in favour of home-produced food is that you can SEE it being produced. It is there. And its safety, in terms of animal welfare or nutritional standards, is the most highly regulated anywhere in the world.

CFG - Henry Fell

"Encouraging people to buy fresh local produce not only supports local businesses and communities but can help to promote the environment."

NFU Cymru - Dai Davies, president

"The message that local food is not only wholesome, tasty and healthy but also helps the environment must get through and I am delighted to support this new campaign by Farmers Weekly."

FUW - Gareth Vaughan, president

"Buying locally grown fruit and vegetables benefits local communities including farmers and can benefit the environment by reducing food miles. I welcome any efforts to ensure that children know more about the importance of healthy eating and where their food comes from."

Jim Knight, Minister for schools

"We can buy food from all over the world these days. But think about the preservatives that have to be used to keep it fresh on its long journey to our supermarkets. Think about the carbon emissions generated by flying this food thousands of miles. For better tasting, fresher produce, that supports our farmers and has less impact on our environment, buy local."

Kate Humble, TV personality

"We should be confident and proud of advocating locally produced food. HEART of ENGLAND fine foods applaud the launch of Farmers Weekly’s awareness campaign and offer our full support in working together to cut down produce transportation and generate more demand for fine regional food and drink."

Karen Davies MBE, Chief Executive of HEART of ENGLAND fine foods

“Buying locally grown, seasonal food is an excellent way for consumers to reconnect with farmers and so develop a better understanding of where their food comes from."

Lord Bach - Former Minister for sustainable farming and food

“Producing and buying food locally can help the environment globally by cutting down on transport, waste and carbon emissions, while boosting the local economy. These principles are at the heart of our drive to ensure a truly sustainable future for our farming and food industries and I warmly welcome the campaign to involve the public in this shared vision.”

Margaret Beckett - Foreign Secretary (Secretary of State
for the department of environment, food and rural affairs)

Farmers Weekly Foodmiles Campaign

Food Miles Endorsements