Waitrose has pledged to start using rapeseed oil and wheat certified by the sustainable farming group Linking Environment And Farming.
The upmarket supermarket already works with LEAF Marque farmers to source all its UK fruit and vegetables and Waitrose’s Leckford Estate farm is also certified.
Waitrose now plans to source all its UK oilseed rape from LEAF Marque growers by 2016. A timescale is currently being agreed for wheat.
“This platform has already been a success for our fresh produce and we look forward to extending this into commodity crops,” said Alan Wilson, Waitrose’s technical manager for agronomy.
LEAF said the new deal provided a good market opportunity for farmers.
“This commitment to sourcing more LEAF Marque-certified commodity crop ingredients provides an excellent market opportunity for our farmers. It also offers a clear incentive for other wheat and oilseed rape farmers in the UK to consider LEAF Marque certification,” said Jeremy Boxall, director of LEAF Marque.
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