Mixed results on supermarket farmer relations says report

Morrisons and Waitrose have come out top of a study into the corporate social responsibility of the 10 largest supermarkets in the UK carried out by the NFU.

This is the first time a report has looked into how CSR programmes are impacting on British farmers and revealed mixed results across the supermarket sector.

Both Morrisons and Waitrose are committed to 100% UK sourcing in a number of areas and performed very well in the study, while Sainsbury’s has promised to double the amount of UK sourcing by 2020 to make a more positive impact on UK agriculture.

Marks & Spencer’s Plan A incorporates a number of important elements that benefit UK farmers in terms of investments in research to extend growing seasons and create market opportunities for farmers and growers, said the NFU.

The Asda Farmlink initiative and research and development programme offer some good examples of positive farmer engagement and approaches to sustainability, it said.

Discount supermarkets Lidl and Aldi are starting to put more emphasis on UK sourcing, with Aldi offering 100% British fresh meat, the report found.

“Having good relationships with the UK’s grocery retailers is critical to the success of British agriculture and horticulture,” said director of corporate affairs Tom Hind.

“Over recent years, many retailers have sought closer relationships with farmers and growers. They have developed standards to meet the expectations of groups of consumers, set up dedicated pools in some sectors and sought to champion UK and local sourcing.

“Nevertheless, there remains broad scope to develop commitments that would help farmers and retailers overcome the significant challenges they faced.

“All of the retailers we looked at could do more to establish clear baselines and targets that can be measured on policies such as sourcing. And all could do more to strengthen relationships with farmers across all sectors.”