Co-operative Food has pledged to increase its sourcing of British food as part of a three-year programme it claims could be worth £1.5 billion to UK agriculture.
The retailer, which has 2,800 stores across the UK, said backing British farmers was about more than “just rolling out the bunting”.
It said it would source British produce for its own-brand produce offering, as well as the produce used in its chilled ready meals, pies and sandwiches.
The retailer's chief executive, Steve Murrells, said:“Trust in retailers has been dented in recent years, and we hope our openness about where we source our meat, poultry and produce will encourage more retailers to follow suit.'
The Co-op has also pledged to be open and transparent about its sourcing, publishing details of this in its annual sustainability report.
In addition its farming groups will be extended, and it said it hopes to develop relationships with its produce grower base to provide greater availability of seasonal produce.
Its first sourcing report, published yesterday and entitled Born and Bred, revealed findings from research into consumer attitudes to food.
According to the research, 90 per cent of shoppers wanted supermarkets to sell more food from British farms, and 86 per cent felt food was more traceable when produced on British farms.
No comments yet