THE NFU is inviting MPs and farmers up and down the country to throw their weight behind Back British Farming Day, to celebrate the farming industry.

Now in its fifth year, the iconic day on Wednesday, September 9, will provide a focus to celebrate British farming values and highlight its importance to the UK economy.

The NFU will be reminding politicians that British food and farming contributes more than £120bn to the UK economy each year and employs four million people.

This year, it gives farmers an opportunity to promote British farmers' commitment to high production standards, building on the success of the NFU's food standards campaign which has been backed by more than a million people.

This autumn will be a critical time for British food and farming as the Agriculture Bill returns to the House of Commons to be passed into law and trade negotiations continue with countries across the world. There has never been a more important time to highlight the crucial role farmers play in feeding the nation and caring for the countryside.

MPs are being invited to show their support for farming by wearing a wool and wheatsheaf pin badge in the Palace of Westminster on Back British Farming Day and to post a photograph of the badge quoting what farming means to them, on Twitter, using #BackBritishFarming.

Over the coming weeks, MPs may be out on farm. If they visit a farm, they are being asked to take a photo and post it on their social media channel using #BackBritishFarming.

The NFU will also be releasing a report to coincide with Back British Farming Day that sets out their farming standards.

Farmers are being encourage to become involved by taking part on any social media platform, using #BackBritishFarming to tag their MP and say why they are proud to produce food for the nation; show how they are keeping the nation fed with a short video; contact their MP ahead of the day to share their farming images to illustrate why food and farming is important to them; or invite their MP to wear the wool and wheat-pin badge.