Tory MPs call on supermarkets to introduce a 'Buy British' section online

A letter signed by Theresa Villiers, the former environment secretary, as well as four members of the Commons environment committee called on retailers to signpost homegrown food in an effort to boost growth and cut the country’s carbon footprint.

A proposed “Buy British” section would allow the public to have “greater power in their choices” , the group of over 110 signatories said.

The Telegraph reported that at least one major supermarket is internally looking into the idea.

“British farmers work hard all year round to ensure our nation’s food security, are crucial in supporting strong local economies and have been instrumental in preserving and protecting our environment,” the letter said.

“Eating food produced in the UK also drastically cuts down on the carbon produced when importing goods from elsewhere.”

Ms Villiers said: “We produce some of the best food in the world in the UK. Buying British food helps our farmers, it cuts down on carbon emissions from food miles and it boosts our rural economy.”

Minette Batters, the president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said that it was great to see MPs supporting the initiative which the group has been asking retailers to commit to for a number of years.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “Our British-sourced items are referenced in several different ways, including category filters and flags on products. We are constantly adapting our website to reflect the way our customers shop online and help them find the products they are looking for.”

An Ocado spokesman said: “As an online-only retailer, we can be really agile and specific with the information we share, so when fresh produce is in season, we’ll also add ‘British’ to the product’s title on site.”