Early day motion · EDM 1747 · 25 Jun 2009

FAIR TRADE FOR BRITISH FARMERS

Tabled by Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat) 47 signatures

The motion

That this House believes in fair trade for farmers, whether based in the UK or overseas; is concerned at reports of dairy farmers being offered as little as 10 pence per litre for their milk in the aftermath of the collapse of Dairy Farmers of Britain; acknowledges the fact that many British farmers from a variety of sectors are forced to accept payment for their produce by powerful buyers including supermarkets at a rate below the cost price; further believes that this unfair trade is a consequence of market failure and an imbalance of power between the producer, the processor and the retailer; and seeks to correct that imbalance by setting up a new, powerful Food Market Regulator with a remit to be proactive to ensure fair trade in the domestic food market to ensure that farmers, growers and consumers get a fair deal.

Source: the official Early Day Motions database.