Aldi sign

Aldi has become the first retailer to throw its weight behind an initiative to back British farmers.

Despite the so-called fruit and veg pledge - which aims to improve long-term relationships with British growers and suppliers, boosting their profitability -being drawn up by the UK's National Farmers Union (NFU) several years ago, Aldi has now acted and effectively thrown down the gauntlet to other supermarkets.

The code includes a commitment to supplying seasonal British fruit and vegetables, while at the same time stripping out bureaucracy and unfair charges.

The NFU is calling on all retailers to sign up publicly to the pledge, which has taken three years to draw up since the publication of its Catalyst for Change report.

The study found millions of pounds had been stripped out of the fresh produce sector through poor supply chain practices and a short-term approach to relationships with growers and intermediaries, damaging farmers’ ability to produce fruit and vegetables.

Dr Chris Hartfield, the NFU’s chief horticultural adviser, said: “We hope other supermarkets will sign up very soon and we encourage them to do so. This will benefit everyone in the supply chain, from growers to shoppers.”

The news follows Aldi's recent recognition by the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s annual supplier survey, which named the discounter as the best performing grocery retailer when it came to compliance.