A crowd of scarecrows were recently placed in a symbolic 'protest' outside the Houses of Parliament.

The protest took place on Monday, January 22, ahead of the MP debate as farmers advocate for government intervention to prompt the 'Big Six' supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl – to focus on justice in farming under the hashtag #GetFairAboutFarming.

The gathering of 49 scarecrows at Parliament served as an expressive representation.

Following an alarming statistic of 49% of fruit and vegetable farmers likely to go out of business in the next 12 months, as revealed by research from Riverford, an organic veg box company.

The protest aims to draw attention to the challenges faced by fruit and vegetable farmers and the need for fair practices within the industry.

Riverford's #GetFairAboutFarming petition received 110,000 signatures urging government changes.

With 69% of fruit and veg farmers wanting stricter regulations to address power imbalances.

Before a parliamentary debate, Riverford called for enforceable regulations ensuring fair purchasing agreements.

They want supermarkets to obey to agreed quantities, prices, and payment schedules.

Current policies fail to protect farmers and Riverford urges the government to make retailers buy, pay, and pay on time without exceptions.

Celebrities like Ray Mears, and Julia Bradbury, and organisations such as Sustain reportedly support the campaign.

Riverford's research shows that 54% of horticultural farmers believe farming is low on the government's priority list.

Founder of Riverford, Guy Singh-Watson, highlighted: “The silence from the ‘Big Six’ supermarkets amid the noise of the #GetFairAboutFarming campaign truly speaks volumes on how much they value the farmers who keep their shelves stocked and pockets lined all year round.

Guy also said: “For farmers, the clock is ticking. We urge the Government to take action now to safeguard the future of British agriculture.”

Executive chair of British Apples and Pears, Ali Capper said: “It is excellent to see MP’s debate on the issue, however, the sector needs more for what they provide.

She also added: “Retailers need to understand that food input is real, and they must pay fair in return.”

Sustainable farming campaign co-ordinator at Sustain, William White, provided his views regarding the protest: “Firstly, it is amazing having got to this point when regarding such a niche issue as regulations does not always stand at the forefront of pressing topics. Yet 110,000 signatures were received during the public appeal.

“Currently producers are being pushed to a point where they can’t afford food production, coupled with issues such as climate change. It’s time policy makers listened.

“Additionally, 11,000 letters were sent to every constituency.”

He also added: “The anonymous scarecrows represented a silent message from farmers as they avoid being delisted by supermarkets.

Strategic lead on agriculture at The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, Vicki Hird, commented: “The protests are part of a far bigger campaign for British fruit and vegetable farmers.

“We need the ‘Big Six’ to cooperate and without clearer regulations, farmers will go under.

“Voluntary measures are simply not enough.

“People need to understand where their fruit and vegetables come from and therefore regulations such as Code of Practices need to be in place between supermarkets and farmers.”

Vicki concluded: “The ongoing trade deals are not making things any easier for our farmers.”