The Farm Retail Association is re-launching its certification scheme to make it clear what counts as a real farmers' market.
This move is set to bring consistency to the UK’s farmers' markets, which serve as a crucial sales avenue for thousands of farmers across the country.
The refreshed 'Real Farmers Market' certification scheme is aimed at helping the public identify genuine farmers' markets.
To be certified, markets must adhere to eight key principles.
These principles are: championing the farmers, prioritising local produce, exhibiting pride in provenance, understanding the product(s), possessing correct insurance, adhering to legal procedures, promoting themselves as a 'Real Farmers Market', and enforcing these principles.
The first principle ensures that customers should be able to buy directly from the farmers, growers, and producers who supply the market.
The second emphasises the importance of recruiting stallholders from as close to the market as possible.
Pride in provenance requires stallholders to have either grown, produced, baked, or made their products themselves.
Stallholders should be able to provide customers with accurate advice about their products, from field to fork.
All traders must have suitable public, product, and employment insurance to protect their customers.
They must also follow all relevant national and local laws, and ensure each trader is registered with Trading Standards and Environmental Health.
Emma Mosey, chair of the FRA, said: "It is vital that there is an industry standard for farmers' markets in the UK so customers can be sure of the provenance and locality of the produce.
"Once a farmers' market has demonstrated its credentials and been awarded certification, the FRA will commit to promoting the farmers' market in many ways including a logo on each market's web page, an opportunity to be entered in the annual FRA awards, inclusion in press releases and on social media."
Farmers' markets from across the UK can join the FRA without applying for certification.
However, they will not be able to use the 'Real Farmers Market' branding.
They will still have access to member benefits including support, networking, advice, training, and workshops.
The FRA can also provide guidance on how a farmers' market can strive to become a certified 'Real Farmers Market.'
For more information about joining the Real Farmers Market scheme or the Farm Retail Association, interested parties can contact hello@farmretail.co.uk.
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