Almost 90% of the public want farmers to be paid fairly

British farmers have once again been backed by the general public, with new research showing 88% want them to be paid fairly for the food they produce.

The study, carried out by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), also found 45% of those polled believe farmers “get a bad deal” from the current food system, while 71% believe the supermarkets “get a good deal.”

For the majority of respondents, the rising cost of food was their major concern (53%), but the power of large food companies and supermarkets was the second most frequently chosen worry (28%).

See also: A quarter of all farmers plan to cut production, says survey

Sue Prichard, chief executive of the FFCC, said: “Farmers are under huge pressure at the moment, working hard to provide people with healthy food that doesn’t cost the earth.

“Our research shows British people overwhelmingly support farmers, with 88% saying they want to see farmers paid fairly for putting food on our plates.

“They realise it’s complicated, and we all need to play our part in tackling the climate, nature and health crises. But if we’re all in this together, hardworking people expect government to work hard on the difficult stuff too.

“They want to see government working with businesses to lead the way, investing in environmentally-friendly farming and policies that help British farmers to produce the food we need – good for the planet and people’s health.”