It is presented as the most wonderful time of the year but Christmas for our turkey farmers it is their busiest.

Sticking with tradition is half the fun of Christmas which is why many of us omnivores will be tucking into turkey on the big day.

Christmas hasn’t started before we visit a local farm to collect the traditional centrepiece for our festive meal.

It has not been an easy year for Pembrokeshire poultry farmers as they contend with soaring feed and energy costs and the ever-present threat that avian flu could infect their flocks.

They carry a lot of financial risk so acknowledging that commitment by buying from a small local producer is more important than ever this year, to them and to the wider Pembrokeshire economy where that money is recirculated.

It is likely that the bird will be the single biggest foodie expense, but where would the turkey be without veg? Supporting local producers by stocking up at a farm shop cuts down the food miles.

Supermarkets score well on convenience and choice but their farmer suppliers receive a miniscule proportion of the profit after retailers and middlemen take their cut.

While debates on farm policy put environmental aims at the forefront they largely ignore how money is allocated in supply chains. Intermediaries and food buyers hold all the power.

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If our farmers are to be given the chance to change our food system they need to keep more of the value so they can invest and use new approaches that are good for nature and the environment.

But even in these enlightened times, supermarkets still have an iron grip on their suppliers. As a dairy farmer I am acutely aware that they sell milk cheaply to attract customers into stores, using it as a so-called ‘loss leader’.

Loss leaders distort the reality of what things cost, they are unaffordable for farmers, suppliers, small businesses or the environment, and have no place in 21st century food systems.

What we need is honest pricing, giving customers more transparency and a better sense of how much food and drink really costs.

In turn, this might help us value food more and waste less.

I don’t pretend to have the answer but government surely has a part to play, using legislation to help farmers get a fairer deal. Supermarkets are powerful but legislation more so.