Agriculture, Aquaculture & Fisheries
We believe that good food should be sourced thoughtfully and responsibly, taking care to respect the environments and animals that produce it. That’s why we work hand-in-hand with our suppliers as we continually strive to ensure that the fish and meat we offer is sourced more sustainably.
Whether it’s through the fairer, long-term relationships we build with the farmers and fishers who grow, rear and catch the food we supply, our globally recognised commitment to animal welfare or the innovative farming methods we promote, we seek to set an example for our industry both on land and in waters.
As pressures on climate, nature and our food system continue to intensify, our business remains dedicated to finding ways of providing quality food for customers while doing the right thing for people and the planet.
Commitments
- Produce all our own-brand meat, eggs, dairy and farmed fish to define higher welfare standards;
- Source all own-brand fish and shellfish from third-party-verified responsible sources.
Highlights
Mission Statement: To introduce regenerative farming techniques, ensure higher welfare standards and drive positive change so that oceans and marine resources are used sustainably.
Free-Range
Cream
Waitrose is the first major UK supermarket to source free-range single, double and whipped cream.
Waitrose became the first major UK supermarket to source its own-label fresh milk and cream products from free-range dairy herds. We continue to pay farmers a fair price and source from British farmers we know and trust.
LEAF
Marque
Waitrose to only source fresh produce from LEAF Marque-certified farms worldwide from the beginning of 2027.
Waitrose already sources all UK fresh produce from LEAF Marque-certified farms. Now, it has committed to also sourcing the rest of its global produce only from farms holding this certification by the end of 2026. The LEAF Marque is an assurance system that recognises more sustainably farmed produce.
Certified
Seafood
95%
of our own-brand fish and seafood is from third-party-verified responsible sources.
Waitrose has expanded its commitment to certified seafood in 2024 by implementing plans to label certified Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) farmed fish on its counters. This matches its existing labelling for wild fish certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Awards
Leading the Way, Pesticide Action Network UK 2024 rankings
Top Three companies globally, Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare
Maintaining seafood welfare
In fish and seafood, we continue to put welfare at the forefront of our sourcing discussions. We were proud to be ranked one of the leaders across all sectors for crustacean welfare by Crustacean Compassion in 2023. As of January 2024, 100% of our prawns were, and will continue to be, free from eyestalk ablation.
Progress
Higher-welfare meat
We’ve continued to deliver higher welfare standards across our product categories. To continue to lead the market in animal welfare, Waitrose is implementing the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). While some retailers have already launched BCC for some products, Waitrose will be the only retailer to apply BCC (or higher) standards to all chicken products by the end of August. The BCC launch will also introduce welfare labeling to inform customers and promote an industry-wide labeling system.
In the Italian and Spanish continental meat ranges we have launched a new selection of own-label German meats that achieve higher welfare standards.
In France, we’re working with our supplier, Sacor, to develop and launch a new line of higher-welfare meats. We anticipate that all French and Spanish continental meats will comply with this standard by September 2025.
We expect to meet our commitment to only source eggs from cage-free hens by the end of 2025.
At the Compassion in World Farming Awards 2024, our Italian continental meats supplier, Fumagalli, received special recognition for its commitment as part of attaining its first Good Pig Award.
Challenges
We continue to recognise the additional costs associated with sourcing higher-welfare animal products, but we believe in continuing to prioritise this important issue.
Working closely with our dedicated farmers, growers and fishers, we continue to navigate the changes in UK and global legislation collaboratively. As ongoing changes to environmental and production subsidies evolve, we will work with our suppliers and legislative bodies to support the transition.
In fish and seafood, there are significant challenges certifying the sustainability of some stocks, such as mackerel. We are working with others in the industry on a fishery improvement project to help bring this important fish back into certification.
We will continue to roll out LEAF certification across our global fresh produce supply chains. Building on the great standards we have on our UK fresh produce farms, 2025 will see an increase in the number of our international suppliers that meet LEAF standards as we move towards our goal of 100% certification.
Looking Forward
In 2025, we intend to launch own-label ranges of French, German and Spanish 100% higher-welfare continental meats.
We are also growing our Ethics and Sustainability team as part of a key investment by the Partnership to create even greater impact. For fish and seafood, this will not only help deliver our responsible sourcing commitments but also mean we can work closely with our suppliers on developing and leading on key issues, such as welfare, fish feed and traceability. We will help drive demand for responsibly sourced seafood in a range of ways, including, for example, by communicating clearly with our customers, continuing to fund and actively engage in fishery improvement projects and advocating for the responsible management of our seas.
Case Studies
Committing to Sustainable Produce, Globally
Committing to Sustainable Produce, Globally
In May 2024, Waitrose built on its existing achievement of sourcing all UK produce from LEAF Marque-certified farms by committing to source all fresh produce worldwide only from farms with this certification.
The enhanced commitment is scheduled to be met by 2027, and this bold step reinforces Waitrose’s dedication to sustainable and ethical sourcing by extending the rigorous environmental standard across an extra 53 countries and approximately 12,000 growers.
Back in 2006, we had already become the first UK retailer to source all UK produce from farms which are LEAF Marque certified, and this further move has been informed by consultation with our customers. In February 2024, we conducted a survey of more than 1,200 Waitrose shoppers, finding that four out of ten were worried about the impact of modern farming on nature and wildlife. It’s clear that, now more than ever, we need to focus on the environmental effects of the food we grow to ensure agricultural land is protected to feed many more generations.
As a farming business ourselves – at our LEAF Marque-certified farm at the Leckford Estate in Hampshire – we understand the imperative for efficient, sustainable agriculture. Leckford is also a LEAF demonstration farm, meaning we train, teach and showcase best practices to help other LEAF members farm for the future.
Our new global commitment means customers can continue to enjoy the same great quality fruit and vegetables while being assured that whether it comes from Suffolk, Spain or Senegal, it has been grown with care for the environment by growers who manage water responsibly, protect soil health and conserve nature.
“We believe it is only by grounding interventions at farm level that we can effectively accelerate change at pace and scale. We are therefore delighted to be supporting our longstanding food retail partner, Waitrose, on Farming for Nature – a highly innovative and far-sighted programme.” David Webster, Chief Executive, LEAF
100% Higher Welfare Continental Meats
100% Higher Welfare Continental Meats
Waitrose remains committed to ethical sourcing standards and the promotion of positive animal welfare. We partner with our dedicated supplier and award-winning European pig farmers to extend these commitments to our continental meat products. Which is why in 2023 we set a target that all of our continental meats are reared to higher welfare standards.
Our farmers are committed to continuous improvement and the delivery of Waitrose higher welfare standards. This market-leading commitment means that all of our own-label pork meets our cage-free commitments. In collaboration with our dedicated supplier, we anticipate that we will deliver our target of higher welfare standards across our range of French, Spanish, Italian and German continental meats by the end of 2025.
We completed the transition to higher welfare standards of our own-label Italian deli meats by September 2016. Our Italian pork, such as Milano Salami, Prosciutto Crudo and Prosciutto Di Parma, come from the Lombardy and Emilia Romagna regions of Northern Italy. Both Waitrose and the farmers who rear our Italian pigs and Spanish Ibérico pigs have won awards from Compassion in World Farming for their commitment to improve pig and sow welfare, including the Good Pig Award and Good Sow Commendation, which is a first for Italy and Spain. This means pigs have larger living spaces and straw bedding, enrichment and the sows give birth freely.
All of our European pork producers are independently certified to the European Farming Partnership standards: Bronze, Silver, Gold.
“We recognise the importance of animal welfare and that is why, through a collaborative effort, working with our supply partners, farmers and NGOs, we’ve produced the first higher pig welfare standard of its kind. It can be implemented across the whole of Europe, taking into consideration the different production systems. This is a fantastic accomplishment and a step forward in pig welfare.” Maria Murillo-Mariscal, Group Head of Farm Assurance, The Compleat Food Group.