UK retailer Morrisons has announced that it intends to recruit more than 200 local suppliers of fresh produce and processed foods this year, supporting a wider call for greater self-sufficiency in Great Britain.
Growers interested in becoming a regular supplier of Morrisons will be able to pitch their products through a series of 12 regional events, taking place across England, Scotland and Wales. The first of these events is scheduled for 14 March.
The company feels that supporting local growers and producers will boost the local economies, and the British agricultural sector in general.
A greater diversity in crops is also thought to benefit the natural environment, as is a shorter supply chain.
Independent research has shown that British consumers have a growing interest in food that is harvested, picked or processed within 30-60 miles of their local store: in a survey among 2,000 adults, 67% of respondents stated that they preferred to buy British produce.
Research carried out at the University of Leeds found however that only 52% of the food eaten in the UK is currently produced in Britain; with the country’s exports, estimated at £18bn, less than half the value of its imports, estimated at £39bn.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
