UK retailer Sainsbury’s has announced a new ‘ambitious’ approach to the way it sources key ingredients like tea, coffee and bananas.
The new approach is said to ‘empower its farmers to build more resilient businesses and improve the quality of their communities’.
Sainsbury’s will utilise data and insight which is linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, delivered through the launch of a new 'Sainsbury’s Sustainability Standards' programme. The retailer has introduced a whole new management framework to support farmers of its 35 key crops and ingredients.
The new sustainability programme has been co-authored with specialist advisors, peer-reviewed by 50 independent experts, and will be independently audited. The programme has already been piloted on prawns on Thailand, and now it will be piloted on other key crops like tea, bananas, sugar and potatoes.
Supporting Farmers
The pilot will provide farmers with a guaranteed minimum price for their crop, with the additional option to build a long-term relationship with Sainsbury’s.
The retailer will run support programmes for farmers, which will educate them in the latest agricultural techniques, and offer advice on reducing energy costs.
“We have gained a lot of experience empowering our farmers to build resilient businesses and strengthen communities over the last decade," said Mike Coupe, Sainsbury’s group chief executive.
"We have learned what works and what is of real value to farmers. Starting with tea, we are taking this knowledge to make a further step-change to our sourcing approach by introducing new ways to utilise data and insight to help farmers improve their business performance and the well-being of their workers.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
