Major retailers respond to food miles campaign petition

UK - Britain’s big supermarkets have responded positively to Farmers Weekly's Local Food is Miles Better campaign by pledging to stock more local food.

Farmers Weekly invited the major retailers to provide a clear statement of their position on local food and environmental sustainability. They were also asked to respond to its petition on local food which now has over 5,300 signatures.

ASDA, which sells more than 1500 local products from over 300 small suppliers, said it was piloting a pioneering food delivery scheme that would save more than 3m food miles a year if rolled out across the UK.

The two-month pilot scheme enables a group of three Cornish farmers to deliver fresh fruit and vegetables straight to ASDA stores in Falmouth, St Austell, Bodmin and Plymouth rather than via a distribution centre.

Tesco chief executive Terry Leahy said that this summer it had been marketing locally grown, seasonal produce from displays dedicated to showcasing regional products and it also planned to open regional buying offices in England and strengthen its team in Wales.

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Source: FWi

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