Co-op has become the first national retailer to announce that all of the fresh meat it sells will now be British, dropping Danish bacon and New Zealand lamb.
Co-op stores were already selling British-only beef, chicken, ham, pork, sausages, duck and turkey, as the supermarket uses British-only meat in all its own-label chilled ready meals, pies and sandwiches.
The retailer has called on more foodservice providers and supermarkets to support home-grown products and has launched a £10 million campaign focusing on the benefits of sourcing locally.
Co-op’s announcement comes alongside a research conducted by itself, which found that meat imports into the UK “have doubled over the last 20 years”.
According to the report, the quantity of meat imported by the UK from the EU and other countries has increased from £3 billion to £6.2 billion since 1996. In addition, more than £5 billion worth of meat is now exported from EU member states, while countries in Asia and Oceania account for £804 million worth of imports, followed by Latin America at £345 million.
Asian and Oceanic imports have also seen their exports to the UK almost treble, from £304 million in 1996, with the biggest imports from that region coming from Thailand, at £423 million, and New Zealand, at £291 million.
The report revealed that Ireland is the “biggest beneficiary of EU meat trade with the UK”, as the latter imports £1.45 billion worth of meat from across the Irish Sea.
Furthermore, meat imports by UK firms have jumped from £5.87 billion in 2015 to £6.21 billion in 2016.
Retail chief executive at Co-op, Jo Whitfield, noted: “We can do this because we’re owned by members, not shareholders, and can invest long-term in what matters to communities, not what provides the fastest shareholder return.
“I call on other retailers and food providers to do more to help our farmers, particularly as they head towards uncertain times.”
The chief executive of the National Pig Association, Zoe Davies, also called on more retailers and food providers to follow Co-op’s example and added: “Around half of the pork consumed in the UK is imported.
“Fluctuating currency markets and imports, which are cheaper because of lower welfare standards, can significantly impact the cost of home produced pork, making it harder for farmers to make a living.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
