The pledge comes as the ‘big-four’ grocery retailer aims to establish itself as UK farming’s single biggest direct supermarket customer.
As part of the commitment, Morrisons will support a range of initiatives and partnerships with British farmers, including:
- Morrisons Agriculture Directors Forum – which brings together agricultural leaders from Morrisons key suppliers to strengthen collaboration, align on shared priorities and support the delivery of agricultural strategy with a focus on innovation, sustainability, animal welfare and long-term resilience.
- The ‘Morrisons Next Generation Farming Programme’ - a set of training and development initiatives that aim to prepare young Morrisons farmers for what goes on beyond the farm gate, and provides insight into the world of manufacturing and retail.
Rami Baitiéh, Morrisons CEO, said: “Now, more than ever, at a time when farming is under pressure, we stand shoulder to shoulder with British farmers, providing them with long term financial stability and practical support.
“That is why we are committing to invest £1.6 billion with British farms this year, backing the people who produce our food and giving them the confidence and stability they need to continue producing high quality British products for our customers.”
The retailer will also continue to support a series of multi-year partnerships with farmers supplying its supermarkets with fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and eggs.
In partnership with McDonald’s and the NFU, Morrisons has also launched the ‘School of Sustainable Food & Farming’ at Harper Adams University to help address the skills gaps in agriculture and embed new sustainable farming methods across the industry.
It has additionally developed its Sustainable Farm Network, which is made up of 38 farm networks, representing over 150,000 hectares across the country.
Farming Minister, Dame Angela Eagle, added: “For decades, Morrisons has been a steadfast and consistent partner for British agriculture.
“Through long-term partnerships and significant investment, they are not only helping put quality homegrown food on our tables, but are also helping sustainable food production to grow and prosper. This Government will continue to work closely with industry to support British farming and increase its profitability, productivity and sustainability for years to come.”
