Draft:Farmwashing

• Comment: Three of the four sources are reprints of, or based on, the same press release. bonadea contributions talk 15:26, 30 September 2024 (UTC)

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Farmwashing is a marketing or advertising strategy that falsely presents produce as being grown or produced by small family farms, giving the impression that retailers support farmers. In reality, this often masks large-scale industrial practices, lower animal welfare standards, and greater reliance on overseas sourcing than is implied.

Types of Farmwashing

Farmwashing can take various forms:

1. Fake Farm Brands: Retailers may create fictional farm names and imagery, leading consumers to believe the produce comes from small, traditional farms. In reality, these products often originate from large-scale industrial farms or are imported from overseas.

2. Misleading Claims of Farmer Support: Advertising may suggest support for local or small-scale farmers, but the reality can include importing produce or using practices that don’t align with the ethical standards implied.

3. Bundling Local and Imported Produce: Retailers may package imported and local produce under a single farm name, creating the false impression that the majority of the products are local.

Origins of the Term

One of the earliest known uses of the term "farm-wash" appeared in The Washington Post in 2009. In this article, writer Jane Black quoted restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, who said, "It's called 'farm-wash.' And the other term is 'B.S.'", criticising how the term "farm fresh" had been misused to deceive consumers. In 2011, Grist covered a similar example, critiquing Monsanto’s advertising, which portrayed the company as a supporter of small farmers despite its major role in industrial agriculture, much like the misleading campaign by Domino’s Pizza, which CBS highlighted for falsely depicting its ingredients as farm-fresh​.

While these early examples laid the groundwork, Riverford Organic brought the term “farmwashing” into wider public use in the UK through their Farmers Against Farmwashing campaign. This campaign targeted UK supermarkets for using misleading branding, such as Union Jack flags and fake farm names, to make consumers believe the produce came from small British farms, when in fact much of it was imported or produced by large-scale operations.

Media Coverage and Awareness

The issue of farmwashing has gained substantial media attention. The Farmers Against Farmwashing campaign, in particular, has highlighted the deceptive practices in UK supermarkets, and coverage by outlets such as The Independent and the BBC has brought the matter to wider public awareness. These reports emphasise the impact of farmwashing on consumers, who are often misled about the origins of their food, as well as on small-scale farmers, who struggle to compete with industrial producers.