Buy The Welsh One

The FUW's "Buy The Welsh One" campaign was launched during the 2007 Royal Welsh Show after Defra released figures revealing a dramatic drop in self-sufficiency in UK food and drink products over the previous 10 years.

Between 1995 and 1997 Britain was just over 70% self-sufficient in food but that figure had plummeted to around 58% by 2006. During the same period imports of food, feed and drink into the UK soared from £16,904 million to £23,429m while the total percentage of food, feed and drink exports for the same period fell from 6.1% (worth just £9,903m) to 4.7% (£9,942m).

Meanwhile, several FUW members and supporters were producing their own food and drink products.

There is a growing number of farm-produced quality products now available at farmers' markets, corner shops, on the internet and even at some supermarkets.

But, sadly, the consumer has to search for such products in supermarkets even though there is an increasing awareness amongst these huge retailers that they are morally bound to offer local products.

The FUW launched its campaign after obtaining permission from Aberystwyth sandwich makers Spartacus to use the slogan "The Welsh One", which was the name of one of their most popular products - a brown bread sandwich of Snowdonia Cheddar Cheese, Ceredigion Ham and home-made coleslaw.