The power of the label: why consumers need to know where their pork comes from

When consumers pick up a packet of pork, they should be able to clearly see where that food comes from. Not hidden in small print. Not buried in complex supply chain information.

Transparency is vital for the future of domestic food production | PA

A clear label gives people the power to make an informed choice. For Scotland’s pig farmers, that choice has never been more important.

The Scottish pig sector is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent years. Producer confidence has fallen sharply, prices remain well below the cost of production and independent businesses are being forced to make incredibly difficult decisions about their future.

Around 15 per cent of Scotland’s sow herd has already been lost this year. Behind that figure are farmers making decisions about businesses that have taken years, and often generations, to build.

Jamie Wyllie | Jamie Wyllie

It’s a reality I know first-hand. As Chair of NFU Scotland’s Pigs Committee, I have seen the pressure facing producers across the country. I have also experienced it in my own business.

Following the disruption caused by Covid-19, including processing difficulties, export challenges and market volatility, we were forced to make some incredibly tough decisions. We closed two breeding units, made around 20 members of staff redundant and the family business found itself carrying an overdraft well into the millions. But we got through it, and as the business recovered, so did my passion for pig farming.

When prices started to fall again last December, I recognised the warning signs. I ran the numbers every way I could, but the outcome was always the same. I knew I couldn’t let the business reach that point again.

The decision to stop breeding pigs wasn’t just financial. I’d promised myself we would never return to that level of debt, and ultimately my family and my mental health had to come first.

I still believe Scottish pig farming has a strong future. But farmers cannot continue to absorb losses when the market fails to deliver a sustainable return.

That is why we need action across the supply chain, and why labelling matters. Clearer labelling will not solve every challenge facing the pig sector. But it is one practical change that can give consumers great power within the market. Alongside lobbying government, NFU Scotland has continued to work with processors, retailers and the wider supply chain to push for change. The Scottish Government’s £2 million support package was an important intervention, but longer-term action is needed to give producers the confidence to stay in the sector and invest in the future. That means stronger commitments to Scottish and British sourcing and a fairer return for farmers.

Research shows that 71 per cent of Scottish consumers are more likely to buy a product featuring the Saltire, but for this to happen, it must be visible.

NFU Scotland President Andrew Connon recently experienced this challenge himself, picking up what he believed was Scottish pork, only to discover that mixed in amongst the Scottish products that he had seen were multiple packs of Danish pork steaks with very similar labelling, apart from the Prime Scottish Pork logo.

It highlighted a simple truth: consumers cannot support Scottish farmers if they are not given clear information at the point of purchase.

The distinction matters because “Made in the UK” does not necessarily mean reared in the UK. Pork can be produced overseas and then processed or packed here, making it difficult for customers to know where it really comes from. In restaurants and catering outlets, origin information is often not provided at all, there is no requirement to include it.

Consumers should not have to navigate the complexities of the food supply chain to make an informed choice. If Scottish pork is available, people should be able to identify it quickly and easily, giving them confidence to support Scottish producers.

Our ShelfWatch work is so important, because it gives us a clearer picture of what consumers are actually seeing on supermarket shelves. That gives us the evidence to challenge retailers on sourcing, labelling and how Scottish produce is presented to consumers.

Responsibility sits across the supply chain. Retailers, processors, wholesalers and governments all have a role to play in ensuring consumers do not have to become detectives to understand where their food comes from.

The lesson is simple: when people can see Scottish, they can support it. When will policy makers, hospitality and retailers understand that this matters to consumers?

The future of Scottish pig farming will not be secured by one action alone. Farmers need fair returns, a supply chain that values domestic production and recognition of the role food production plays in Scotland’s future.

Clear labelling will not fix all of that. But it gives consumers something incredibly important – choice. If shoppers want to support Scottish farmers, we should make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Stronger country-of-origin labelling rules, giving consumers clear and prominent information about where their pork comes from, would be a powerful place to start.

Jamie Wyllie, NFU Scotland Pig Committee Chair