Co-operative Food launches farming groups
The Co-operative Food has launched five farming groups for farmers supplying its own-brand fresh British meat and poultry as it looks to strengthen relationships with producers and provide shoppers with a more consistent and transparent supply chain.
The retailer said the move will also maintain The Co-operative’s strict animal welfare policies and encourage long-term investment and improvements to farm efficiency, training and sustainability.
All of The Co-operative’s own-brand fresh standard chicken, fresh standard pork, Hampshire breed pork, Hereford/Aberdeen Angus premium beef and premium Cambrian lamb will now be sourced from the groups which will be led a number of The Co-operative’s key suppliers for meat and poultry.
The structure of the groups will be based on five pillars of achievement.
Never Miss a Retail Update!All farms selected will need to meet specific health, welfare and quality standards for the first pillar, which will be measured and monitored with agricultural performance indicators and regular audits. In addition, farmers will attend events with other farmers and representatives from The Co-operative as part of the “Co-operative brand” pillar, in which delegates will discuss and exchange best practice. Farms that meet the two mandatory pillars will be classed as “Bronze” farms.
The other pillars will represent sustainability, the environment, and ethical and training.
As farms work with The Co-operative to progress through the pillars to become “Silver” or “Gold” farms, they will receive a premium from The Co-operative, and further incentives such as inclusion in bulk feed schemes and medicine groups, which may result in cheaper and better deals for the items. Farms will need to meet four pillars to be Silver, and all five to be Gold.
The Co-operative will also identify a number of “concept” or model farms from within the farming groups, once they have become established.
Steve Murrells, chief executive for The Co-operative Food, said: “The Co-operative has always been a strong supporter of the UK farming industry, sourcing and promoting fresh meat and poultry from animals reared in the UK wherever possible. The farming groups offer a joined-up development approach and long-term commitment to these supply chains. The aim is to deliver both a profitable return for farmers and high-quality, traceable, fresh British meat and poultry for our customers.
“These farming groups will help further strengthen our relationship with producers and give our customers even greater confidence in the provenance of our fresh own-brand meat and poultry. Additional incentives for farmers include bulk feed and medicine groups, training and apprenticeships – so the groups provide a win-win situation for all.”
