NFU Farming Charter

Lidl has pledged to stock more British fruit and veg in its stores

Lidl has become the latest retailer to sign the NFU’s ‘Back British Farming Charter’.

As part of the commitment - which is also backed by Waitrose, The Co-op, M&S, and Morrisons - Lidl is to strengthen its British product offering and work in partnership with British farmers to develop fair, beneficial and transparent relationships.

As much as 70% of the retailer’s core range is currently sourced from British suppliers.

Lidl signed the NFU’s Fruit & Veg Pledge - which aims to champion best practice and strengthen ties between retailers, growers and suppliers - last year.

“Our goal for the future is to continue to put best practice in sustainability firmly at the heart of the business, and supporting growth in the British farming sector is another crucial step in fulfilling that ambition,” said Lidl UK CEO Christian Härtnagel.

“To ensure that we can always offer our customers the freshest, highest quality products at the best prices, it is imperative that we continue to support the British farming industry and further cultivate the strong relationships that we have with our suppliers.”

Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have yet to put their name to the charter.

“All major retailers were invited to sign the Back British Farming charter at its inception in 2013. Lidl has signed the charter at a time appropriate for its business,” an NFU spokesperson added. “The NFU continues to engage with other retailers and would be delighted to see more sign the charter.”