Supermarkets accused of dropping British beef for cheap imports

With retailers still in favour of cheaper imports from countries as far afield as Australia, Uruguay, and New Zealand.

According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), three leading retailers have backtracked on pledges to support British farmers, with foreign beef increasingly appearing on UK supermarket shelves.

The timing could not be worse for British agriculture, which is already under significant strain from rising costs, labour shortages, and weather-related disruption. The NFU warns this latest shift further threatens both UK food security and farmer morale.

“This is deeply concerning,” said David Barton, chair of the NFU’s livestock board. “Our long-standing partnerships with retailers have supported sustainable supply chains, so this shift is alarming.”

Mr Barton criticised the inconsistency between public pledges and purchasing practices: “We’ve heard warm words from almost every major retailer pledging support for British farmers. But these words ring hollow when they are not matched by consistent action on shelves.

Sourcing decisions like these erode trust and damage farmer confidence at a time when the sector is facing immense challenges.”

British farmers have invested millions of pounds in raising welfare standards, including cutting antibiotic use in beef production and lowering poultry stocking densities. These efforts are not always matched by imported products.

Over one million people have signed an NFU petition urging the government to require that all food imports meet UK production standards, something many fear is being overlooked in recent trade agreements.

Mr Barton continued: “Long-term sourcing commitments from retailers is essential to ensure the high welfare British food consumers want remains available and that we’re not in a race to the bottom.”

The NFU is now calling on supermarkets to publicly reaffirm their backing for British farmers and adopt consistent sourcing policies that prioritise homegrown meat.

The union warns that without such commitments, the future of British livestock farming could be jeopardised and could undermine the UK’s reputation for high-quality, ethically produced food.