UK farmers at tipping point with retailers, survey reveals

Farmers, MPs and campaigners are urging ministers to overhaul regulation of the UK food supply chain after new findings revealed seven in 10 growers say supermarket relations have worsened in the past two years.

According to the study, 76% of farmers believe the current regulatory framework is “unfit for purpose”, and three-quarters feel under financial pressure from supermarket buying practices.

The research, commissioned by organic veg-box company Riverford, is the latest stage of its #GetFairAboutFarming campaign, which calls for a single, strengthened regulator to replace what many see as an ineffective system.

See also: Campaign for supermarket fairness builds momentum

The campaign has also gathered political support – 86 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling for existing watchdogs to be combined into a single, more powerful body, and more than 3,000 members of the public have written to MPs.

Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson said the latest survey findings highlight the immense challenges for small and medium-sized farms.

“The problem is worse than ever, with 69% of farmers saying relations with supermarkets have deteriorated over the past two years,” he said.

“Farming shouldn’t feel like survival. It should be a livelihood to be proud of: producing good food, caring for the land and looking after the people who work it.”

More than two-thirds (68%) say making a living from farming has never been harder.

Farmer angst

Apple grower Richard Stogdon, from East Sussex, said relations had “substantively deteriorated”, adding: “We take enormous risks in growing these crops.”

Dairy farmer Haydn Evans, from Carmarthen, west Wales, said supermarkets “exploit the power imbalance”, adding: “They know that you are always negotiating with two hands tied behind your back.”

Riverford’s research found 65% of farmers feel they have no choice but to accept supermarket terms for fear of being delisted, while 61% consider their farms at financial risk due to retailer behaviour.

Farmers reported widespread “unfair” practices, including cancelled orders, late payments and produce rejected for cosmetic reasons, with 82% saying these pressures are harming mental health.

Defra review

Defra is currently conducting the government’s fourth statutory review of independent supermarket ombudsman, the groceries code adjudicator (GCA). 

Sustain’s sustainable farming campaign officer, Georgina Edwards, said: “The ongoing review of the GCA presents a prime opportunity to make fairer supply chains a reality.

“We urge the new ministers of the Department for Business and Trade and Defra to join up existing regulation, and ensure enforcers are properly resourced, to better protect the people who produce our food.”

Riverford’s research, conducted by Censuswide, surveyed 200 horticulture farmers aged 18-plus with current or recent (past five years) supermarket contracts. Data was collected from 2-10 October 2025.