NFUS ShelfWatch: Scottish produce gains supermarket ground

Scottish farmers are gaining ground in the supermarket aisles, with retailers stepping up sourcing, labelling and promotion of home-grown food after sustained pressure from NFU Scotland’s ShelfWatch campaign.

The latest figures show significant progress in key categories. More than 80% of fresh milk in Scottish stores is now labelled Scottish, while egg sourcing is approaching 75%.

Aldi sources 100% Scottish potatoes, eggs, milk and cream, while Tesco has lifted Scottish potato sourcing by 15%.

See also: Aldi tops Scottish sourcing in latest NFUS ShelfWatch report

Lidl leads on Scottish chicken, with more than 91% sourced from Scotland. Overall, every retailer continues to source 100% British fresh chicken.

There are also gains beyond the staples. M&S has reached 98% Scottish sourcing for soft fruit, eggs, pork and red meat categories, overtaking Co-op, while Asda has added more than 200 Scottish product lines.

Morrisons is trialling Scottish-first merchandising and Tesco has introduced Scottish-labelled pork. Aldi has also extended its three-year agreement with Browns Group supporting Scotch Prime Pork.

NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon said: “ShelfWatch is proving that constructive engagement works.”

But he cautioned: “The direction of travel is positive, but there is more to do.”

The campaign is also targeting pricing and labelling, arguing that Scottish produce needs both visibility and a fair return through the supply chain.

End ‘co-mingling’

With 71% of Scottish shoppers more likely to buy a product carrying the Saltire, Mr Connon says the message to retailers is clear – make Scottish food easier to spot, with clear labelling and end the co-mingling of Scottish and imported foods.

Launched in 2024, ShelfWatch began as a regular audit of supermarket shelves, with researchers examining more than 15,000 products at a time across leading retailers.

It has since grown into a three-year monitoring campaign covering Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl, M&S Food, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

NFU Scotland audited more than 80,000 own-label products during 2025, followed by a further 20,000 in January 2026.