Mr Cameron told the Oxford Farming Conference 2007 that the rising popularity of ‘local’ food was “ethical consumerism and that it represented the greatest opportunity for Britain’s farmers to increase profitability. “You must not miss it,” he said.

To assist farmers in making this connection with consumers he said a Conservative government would introduce legislation requiring the clear country of origin labelling of food and its constituents.

“I’m convinced that the long-term interest of British farming is best served by British consumers demanding quality British produce,” said Mr Cameron.

“Today British consumers can find it difficult to back British farmers, because of inadequate labelling.”

He added: “Food can be imported into Britain, packed or processed here, and subsequently labelled in a way that suggests it’s genuinely British. That is completely wrong.

Source: Farmers Weekly