The Countryside Alliance has welcomed renewed calls for mandatory origin labelling on food products, as the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) urges the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to deliver a UK-wide “Honest Labelling” scheme.

The proposal would introduce clearer, standardised country-of-origin labelling on food products sold in the UK, modelled on Australia’s “Made in Australia” system, with the aim of improving transparency for consumers and strengthening returns for British farmers.

The Countryside Alliance has long campaigned for clearer, more consistent food labelling and a fairer marketplace for domestic producers, arguing that consumers should be able to make informed choices with confidence and clarity.

Responding to the renewed campaign, Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Tim Bonner said:

"The Countryside Alliance has long campaigned for clearer food labelling and a fairer marketplace for British farmers, so we strongly welcome this campaign from the LRRG.

"For too long, confusing and misleading labelling has made it harder for consumers to support British produce, while farmers have been undercut by imports. Measures to deliver honest labelling and ensure a level playing field are essential if we are serious about backing British farming, improving transparency and maintaining high welfare standards.

"This is a positive step towards giving farmers a fair return for the high-quality food they produce and helping shoppers make informed choices with confidence."

The LRRG, which represents more than forty Labour MPs in rural and semi-rural constituencies, says its proposal forms part of a wider Farming Profitability Campaign aimed at improving conditions for UK agriculture.

Supporters of the scheme argue it would allow consumers to more easily identify the origin of food, reward high-quality domestic production, and strengthen the competitiveness of British farming.

Retailers including Marks & Spencer and Waitrose have also previously signalled support for clearer origin labelling, alongside farming and countryside organisations.

The campaign points to Australia’s established “Made in Australia” labelling system, which has been in operation for nearly a decade and is widely recognised by consumers. Advocates argue that a similar approach in the UK would be straightforward to implement and could be delivered at relatively low cost, with benefits for transparency and farm business confidence.

Defra has previously estimated that implementing equivalent labelling could cost under £4 million, with potential benefits to farm incomes significantly outweighing setup costs, according to modelling published in its consultation on fairer food labelling.

At the heart of the proposal is a desire to improve transparency in the food system and ensure consumers can clearly identify where their food comes from.

The Countryside Alliance says that honest labelling is a practical step towards restoring trust, strengthening British farming, and ensuring a level playing field for domestic producers in a competitive global market.