Fair Trade for Our Farmers

6.08.47pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 21st Feb 2008

Speaking at the annual conference of the National Farmers Union Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said it was time for Fair Trade for our farmers and to encourage them to go directly to consumers with local produce.

He proposed that an ombudsman should be appointed to handle disputes between suppliers and retailers.

He also urged farmers to take on the supermarket bullies by reaching out to their customers.

"If you want to change the supermarkets, you need to change the people supermarket bosses listen to - their customers": Nick Clegg said.

Jonathan Chatfield the Lib Dems' parliamentary spokesperson for South East Cambridgeshire explained:

"Almost nine out of ten acres in South East Cambridgeshire is farmed.

"Therefore farming has a big impact here not only on our landscape but also on our quality of life.

"This is a time of tremendous opportunity for farmers as demand for good local food is growing.

"Liberal Democrats would encourage farmers to process food locally.

"There are already successful farmers markets in the constituency such as the one held at Histon and Impington and we want to see more, together with more farm shops and new outlets like vegetable box schemes.

"And there should be more opportunities for people to experience farming and fresh produce, such as schools visiting farms and having a vegetable plot.

"Supermarkets are powerful because they're popular, so by educating the consumer we believe farmers can influence the supermarkets through their customers.

"With more than half of Liberal Democrat MPs representing rural seats like South East Cambs, support for farming is very much in our minds."