Airfreighted produce in-store could become a thing of the past as consumers weigh up the environmental impact of food miles, Asda chief executive Andy Bond has warned.
Bond said he had also seen sales rise in the past fortnight since Asda begun cutting packaging in a bid to help the environment.
“I don’t think retailers will make a conscious decision at a point in time to stop listing products, said Bond. “I think what will happen is consumers will make a choice that they don’t want to buy it and ultimately it will disappear off the shelves.”
Products most at risk include fruit and vegetables grown far away from the UK. “It is dangerous to give examples, but if you want examples here are two: asparagus from Peru, mange tout from New Zealand,” Bond said, speaking at the Retail Week conference.
In the same week, the retailer has also displayed its commitment to helping local producers, thanks to a new business scheme aimed at upping the presence of Yorkshire food and drink producers on supermarket shelves.
Yorkshire Farmhouse hopes to bridge the gap between mainly small-scale producers and large-scale supermarket buyers by providing a central purchasing, storage and distribution hub with guaranteed access from July into three Asda stores. Others in the region will follow by the end of the year.
Participating outlets will expand aisle space for local produce, which will be highlighted under the Asda - Local Produce banner.
“Local food is the fastest-growing part of our business,” said an Asda spokesman.
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