Mr Raymond was speaking in front of nearly 1,000 farmers and growers, many of whom had visited the Farming for the Future conference from across the world.

As one of the guest speakers at the event in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Mr Raymond highlighted the growing concerns of a global demand for food, economic and food security, and the risks posed by cuts introduced by the coalition government.

Sainsbury’s had invited delegates from both the UK and abroad for its first farming conference, as well as agriculture minister Jim Paice MP, aimed at focusing on its work with the industry and how it is looking at making farming more sustainable in the future.

Mr Raymond, who also took the opportunity to thank the government for its vow to stamp out bTB and cut red tape, praised the supermarket giant for its work in a variety of sectors, such as the dairy industry. But he said the NFU would continue to question Sainsbury’s over its need for them to “reward its producers” while he also urged the supermarket to “use the Red Tractor on all British produce”.

Also speaking at the event, Mr Paice re-iterated his introduction of a supermarket ombudsman, the importance of red tape reduction, a push for honest labelling and a desire to empower consumers to make a choice over what they eat.

Other speakers included Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King, trading director Mike Coupe (CORR) and director of brand Judith Batchelar (CORR).