VIDEO: New campaign warns against imported ‘travelling veg’ sold in British stores
1st September 2025
While most Brits are travelling to Spain for their summer holidays, some supermarket fruit and veg staples have travelled up to eight times farther — from as far away as Kenya.
Brits are increasingly frustrated with supermarkets stocking imported fruit and veg when the same produce is in season on UK farms, according to new research from organic veg box company, Riverford.
It comes as retailers import vegetables like green beans and Tenderstem broccoli from abroad, despite these seasonal vegetables enjoying the peak of their British growing season over summer. Instead, supermarkets like Aldi, Tesco and Sainsbury’s are importing products from countries such as Kenya and Mexico.
This model puts imported fruit and vegetables in direct competition with British crops at their peak and is often done alongside sourcing from multiple countries at once, giving retailers greater bargaining power with suppliers outside of the UK, Riverford warns.
Importing produce available locally
With the majority of Brits enjoying their holidays in Spain this year, this means some veg has travelled up to eight times more than the average UK resident this summer.
The veg box company said that retailers typically fly in fine green beans from Kenya, for example, resulting in 257 times the carbon footprint of Riverford’s beans, which are sourced from the New Forest.
Mexican asparagus is also commonly seen on supermarket shelves, with this crop travelling over 5,500 miles with a 153 times higher carbon footprint than British asparagus driven from Peterborough, where Riverford sources this veg for their organic boxes.
Tenderstem broccoli, imported by supermarkets from Spain, when airfreighted also has a 37 times larger carbon footprint than Riverford’s, which sources this veg from British growers in Peterborough.
The majority of shoppers (61%) admit these figures feel ‘wrong’, with 72% saying they believe supermarkets should prioritise British farmers over global suppliers. Almost half of those polled even admit to feeling ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ when they see imported fresh produce on supermarket shelves during the height of the British season (47% and 49%, respectively).
Riverford’s research revealed that three quarters (72%) of shoppers trust supermarkets to stock British produce when it is in season, with a further 62% feeling the retailers are letting British farmers down by continually importing produce from abroad when it is available on our doorstep.
Public wants to support British farmers
Riverford said that the findings highlight the “widespread concern” over supermarkets importing produce that is abundant from UK farms, with these practices undermining British growers and blurring shoppers’ understanding of the natural growing calendar and the seasonality of food.
This comes despite two-thirds (66%) of respondents saying they will choose British over imported produce when it is available on the shelf, and 71% of Brits actively look for the Union Jack on packaging to guide their choice. A further 76% say it is important that supermarkets are transparent about their importing practices.
The majority of Brits (55%) also feel British-grown fruit and veg even tastes better than imported produce, with 1 in 5 strongly agreeing they would still buy British produce even if it cost a little more (20%).
While imports play a role in bridging seasonal gaps, Riverford argues that bringing in the same crop during peak British harvest is unfair to UK farmers, environmentally wasteful and misleading for customers.
The issue is not just one of food miles or missed economic opportunity; it is a crucial factor in a broader disconnect between large-scale retail and the values of sustainability, food security and consumer trust.
Luke King, Riverford’s supply chain & technical director, said: “This isn’t about saying ‘no’ to imports, as they’re essential when crops are out of season in the UK.
“However, importing the same product while British farms are at their most abundant undermines our UK growers, increases unnecessary food miles, and denies shoppers the chance to eat fresher, seasonal food. It can also be misleading when the same product is put on the shelf from multiple countries, including the UK.”
Mr King added that the public wants to support British farmers, and the easiest time to do that is during our peak British growing seasons and harvest.
“Supermarkets should make it easy for them and, for example, not import green beans from Kenya when they’re in season here in the UK,” he continued.
‘Vegetables on world tour’
The research also found 53% of respondents feel supermarkets do not fully support British farmers, with nearly 48% believing their support for British farmers is just lip service.
More than a third of those polled (39%) believe supermarkets mislead customers by promoting and selling British produce while also selling imported produce at the same time.
To encourage shoppers to consider the origins of their food and encourage conscious shopping, including always check the label, Riverford have released a tongue in cheek video poking fun at the distance that some vegetables have travelled.
The clip shows dishevelled vegetables, including an apple, potato, onion and a carrot, rolling off a long-haul flight on a private jet into the waiting arms of suited chauffeurs to transport them to Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Tesco shelves.
The clip ends with a message: ‘Veg tastes better when it hasn’t been on a world tour’.
Watch it here:
Zac Goodall, head of sustainability at Riverford, said: “Seven in 10 people say year-round availability of produce in supermarkets has disconnected them from our food seasons here in the UK, according to our research.
“When we eat with the British seasons, we taste food at its best and support the hands that grow it here in the UK.
“We’re asking shoppers to always check the label and to always choose seasonal British produce when available. Supermarkets should work to prioritise British produce during peak harvests to benefit not only the planet, but also their customers.”
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