UK dairy farmers have the support of the Women’s Institute. The National Federation’s chair Ruth Bond called on WI members and the general public “… to get behind our farmers. We encourage members to ask retailers to step up to the challenge and take responsibility for dairy farmer suppliers.”
The National Federation comprises 6,600 Women’s Institutes with more than 210,00 members. WI support for dairy farming goes back to a resolution voted in 2005. It is a campaigning strand that sits alongside fighting to preserve local libraries or opposing changes in legal aid that would put women at greater risk of violence.
Their position on the dairy crisis is just as forthright: “All parts of the supply chain benefit from maintaining a profitable, productive and healthy dairy industry, yet as events this week have again shown us, the balance is wrong.”
Bond recognises that some retailers’ pricing policies are fairer than others: “…we are asking everyone to shop with those retailers that we know are doing the right thing by British farmers and encourage others to engage in dialogue to stress this is a major issue for British consumers. Farmers need consumers to get behind them, and we all need a sustainable supply chain, to ensure the future viability of this key industry.”