"The union is a member of Fairness for Farmers in Europe (FFE) which is urging supermarkets to clearly display the food miles travelled by beef and lamb from the farm to the supermarket shelf," said FUW Deputy President Emyr Jones today.

"We believe such measures would significantly cut food miles and start to apply common sense to the food chain," added Mr Jones, a Bala Welsh Black Cattle breeder who represents the FUW on the FFE.

"Consumers themselves would regulate the food miles by automatically choosing the lowest miles displayed in the knowledge the beef and lamb available across these islands is of the highest quality available anywhere in the world."

FFE contends food miles account for 10 per cent of carbon emissions and their labelling plan would be the first constructive step in lowering this figure.

It recommends a food miles sticker should be clearly visible from a distance of three metres and not something stuck on as small as possible at the back of the packet or wrap just to comply. "Consumers are encouraged to ask and pressurise their supermarkets to go down this route by saying they will vote with their feet if they don’t.

FFE will be monitoring the situation over the next month," said Mr Jones. "Global warming and the extremes of weather that goes with it are having a serious effect on the day-to-day running of farms across these islands.

"In many cases it makes a farmer’s life more difficult and expensive. Therefore, we must act now to combat global warming and protect our food security. "FFE is delighted to promote this idea and hope that consumers, their customers, will help as requested."

TheCattleSite News Desk