Shoppers are being “tricked” into thinking they are supporting British farmers by supermarkets according to one Kent farmer.

Zoe Colville, who works as a beef and sheep farmer in Kent, is backing farmers across the UK in a campaign to raise public awareness of what they call “farmwashing”.

She said the practice involves supermarkets marking products such as meat or fruit and vegetables with stamps with “cute farm names” and “Union Jacks everywhere” but the products have not necessarily come from a farm or even from the UK.

Speaking to KentOnline, Zoe, who quit her life in London working as a hairdresser to become a farmer, said: “I find it quite disrespectful. We have worked hard to gain the trust of the British people and they want to support but they don’t always necessarily have the time to buy directly from the farms.

“But then when they go to the supermarket they are being misled into thinking they are supporting the farmers but they are just having the wool pulled over their eyes and something needs to be done about that.”

Zoe, with her partner and fellow farmer Chris Woodhead, is trying to raise awareness of the issue and is asking people to dig a bit deeper and look at the packaging and the country of origin.

Research by organic veg box company, Riverford and led by founder and farmer Guy Singh-Watson, has revealed 61% of farmers are likely to give up their farms in the next 18 months as they are on the brink of collapse.

Only one in four farmers surveyed believe that claims by supermarket of supporting British farmers are credible and backed up by buying behaviour.

The company has issued an open letter with more than 100 signatories addressed to the CEOs of the “Big Six” supermarkets and teamed up with a group of British farmers, including conservationist and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty, to launch a new fairness campaign called Farmers Against Farmwashing.

The campaign features a docu-series, which sheds light on the practice.

Jimmy said, "Britain’s small-scale farmers are facing extinction, pushed to the brink by the rise of US-style mega-farms.

“These enormous operations might make meat cheaper, but the hidden costs are devastating compromises on animal welfare, environmental harm, and the destruction of traditional farming livelihoods.

“We’re seeing generations of family farms swallowed up, replaced by faceless corporations that are driven by profit rather than people or the planet. It’s time we take a stand and support real British farming before it’s too late."

Guy said: “British farming is at a breaking point. The public cares deeply about where their food comes from, the supermarkets know this and they are using that trust to steal farmer stories and to hoodwink shoppers into thinking they are buying from those small-scale, traditional British farms.

“Supermarkets must stop exploiting farmers and start supporting them. If we want a future where our food system is resilient, our landscapes are preserved, and our farmers are treated fairly, we need more honesty and decency in the supply chain.”

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Supermarkets are always keen to promote British farming and follow the strict legislation on the labelling of food, including the use of flags. In fact, they pushed the Government to tighten these rules earlier this year.

“Retailers create new farm brands for some of their own-label goods in order to help consumers find the quality goods they are looking for.”

The campaign is urging people to write to their MPs.

Riverford’s last campaign #GetFairAboutFarming was debated in Parliament on January, 22 2024 after the supporting petition collected more than 113,00 signatures.

Zoe fell into farming after reconnecting with old classmate Chris and helping him out at the weekends. The death of her father, who she had nursed through poor health, caused her to re-evaluate her life and spend more time with the animals.

Nicknamed Chief Shepherdess by Chris, she has a hugely popular instagram account documenting life on a farm.