Listen
Food Retailers' Forum
23/09/2009
Further commitment to Scotland's food and drink industry was announced today, with the promise of thousands of new jobs and extra investment in Scottish produce.
Aldi, Asda, The Co-Operative, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and the Scottish Retail Consortium met with Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead, and set out their support for Scottish produce.
Retailers' commitments to Scottish food and drink include:
- Asda is aiming for a 47 per cent increase in sales of local food in Scotland in 2009 and has pledged to create 3,500 new jobs
- The Co-operative has long-term commitments to health and well-being, regional produce, strong animal welfare credentials and the environment.
- Marks & Spencer sources over £260 million of food from Scotland - buying Scottish haddock and only sourcing trout from Scottish farms - highlighting much of this using the Saltire on labels
- Morrisons is starting to farm a 700 acre site at Dumfries House in South Ayrshire primarily rearing cattle and sheep
- Sainsbury's stocks almost 1,500 Scottish lines from 138 Scottish suppliers throughout its UK stores
- Tesco sells £2 billion of Scottish products across the UK from 150 Scottish suppliers
- Waitrose believes that Scotland is a source of some of the best regional and local produce available
Speaking after the Retailers' Forum, Mr Lochhead said:
"This was a welcome opportunity to discuss how we can work together to help ensure a sustainable and profitable future for our retailers, fishermen, farmers, producers and suppliers.
"We have successfully worked in partnership with supermarkets to encourage the sourcing of Scottish produce. We have created a Retailers' Charter and Retailers' Forum to set a common agenda. I want to see this alliance develop even further.
"It is heartening that leading nation-wide supermarkets are recognising the value of Scotland's food and drink and converting that into tangible investment.
"Supermarkets play an important role through the interface they give many consumers to the food chain. I am impressed by their commitment to Scottish food and drink; in real terms, this support for Scottish brands translates to a 21 per cent increase between May 2007 and May 2009."
Scottish Retail Consortium Director Ian Shearer said:
"Retailing is directly responsible for over quarter of a million jobs in Scotland. It's vital to the health of local economies and communities.
"This was a welcome opportunity to share opinions on the sector's future and for us to update the Scottish Government on the wide range of food and environmental issues set out in its agenda.
"This kind of high-level engagement, by many of the biggest names in UK retailing, shows the importance we attach to the Scottish market and Scottish produce."