Shopping guide shows which supermarkets support British farmers

An online supermarket sourcing guide has been launched so shoppers can find out who is backing British farming, the NFU said.

The farming union said the guide took 12 months to compile the data, which showed Aldi and Morrisons stocking only 100% British beef and lamb.

"We want to promote British food to the general public and support shoppers who want to buy British food by helping them find it at different retailers," said Ruth Mason, chief food chain adviser at the NFU.

"If consumers know who is sourcing from British farmers and growers, it allows them to make an informed choice about which retailers they then want to buy from. This guide enables them to evaluate the performance of their regular retailer in terms of supporting British farming."

Beef

The Co-operative and Sainsbury’s source 100% British for their premium lines of beef and lamb only.

The online guide shows that Aldi and Morrisons source all of their beef and lamb from British farmers on their standard and premium lines, while Asda, The Co-operative and Sainsbury’s source 100% British for their premium lines of beef and lamb only.

The Co-operative, Lidl, M&S and Waitrose said all of their standard line beef came from British producers; however they only source British lamb at certain times of the year.

"The UK’s beef and lamb producers are facing challenges across the board and we need retailers to use their position of considerable influence over UK consumers to help to ensure a sustainable future for UK livestock farming," said NFU chief livestock adviser John Royle.

"The sector needs long-term clarity on commitments to British sourcing so that producers can be sure of the market for their animals in advance. The same is also true for retailer specifications."

"Some companies offer forward pricing contracts over the lifetime of beef cattle - and producer groups like Sainsbury’s lamb development group help producers meet the retailer’s requirements. Whilst these models are not perfect they’re a significant step in the right direction so we’d encourage more supermarkets to develop these approaches."

Milk

"Over half the milk produced by our dairy cows is sold as fresh liquid milk, with most of this volume sold through the major supermarkets. Another 27% of UK milk is processed into cheese, which again is mainly sold at retail in the UK," said NFU chief dairy adviser Sian Davies.

"Around 85% of the milk that is produced by our dairy cows is processed and consumed in the UK, so retailers have a crucial role in the dairy supply chain for milk and cheese, but also for other dairy products including butter, yoghurt, cream and flavoured milk."

"Some retailers have put in place pricing mechanisms that support their liquid milk supplying farmers and pay a price relating to the cost of production – these include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, the Co-operative, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer. There are also smaller schemes for farmers supplying milk for cheese at Tesco and Sainsbury’s."

"We are urging other retailers and food service to consider their sourcing policy to ensure that they can continue to provide their customers with high quality British dairy products into the future. They should also use the Red Tractor label on front of pack on own-label products to help consumers support British dairy farmers."

Fruit and Vegetables

The guide also looked at stocking of seasonal British fruit and vegetables with Aldi coming out on top once more – the discounter said it sold 16 lines including potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, berries and parsnips.

This was followed by Waitrose which reported selling 12 lines of British fruit and vegetables, Morrisons with 10, and Tesco and the Co-operative with six.

"We think labeling is still too difficult to understand, making it difficult for consumers to identify British produce, particularly in the dairy sector," the NFU said.

"Shoppers can ensure they buy British by looking out for the Red Tractor logo with the Union Jack on it, which means the food can be traced back to a British farm."