UK retailer Sainsbury’s and pork and poultry producer Cranswick have announced a new 10-year partnership that will see all Sainsbury’s British pork and cooked meats supplied through the UK producer.
Cranswick will also supply all Sainsbury’s sausages, premium bacon and gammon. This will be made possible by the British farmers working for Sainsbury’s and Cranswick under the Sainsbury’s Pork Producer Group.
The partnership will reportedly “elevate welfare standards” of the by Sainsbury’s British pork range beyond the industry recommended, with Taste the Difference pork remaining the same high-level RSPCA Assured standard that it has been for 17 years.
Alongside the partnership, there will be direct investment in flexible farrowing accommodation to provide extra space for sows and piglets. Additionally, AI technology will allow for round the clock monitoring of animals and will inform producers on improvements to welfare.
Jim Brisby, Cranswick Plc chief commercial officer, said: “The purpose of the new partnership is to provide a total supply chain approach delivering a robust and differentiated consumer offer across British pork related categories including fresh joints and steaks, sausages, cooked meats and premium bacon and gammon.
“The partnership provides a secure supply chain that is fit for the future, facilitating improved welfare standards, delivery of our joint sustainability targets and a fair return to over 170 valued farmers.
“This long-term contract will also give us the confidence to continue to invest in our farms, processing factories and people, to deliver the highest quality, technical standards and innovation to support Sainsbury’s in the provision of good food.”
£61m to be invested by 2030
Sainsbury’s estimated it would invest £50 million to implement the new standards by 2030, with an additional £11 million being invested by Cranswick to help build the new sheds and housing for the pigs.
The companies aim to offer Taste the Difference pork that meets net zero by 2029 and by Sainsbury’s fresh pork that meets net zero by 2030. Working on environmentally sustainable practices, the new contract will allow for the continuation of current trials into the reduction of soya (a feed ingredient with a high environmental impact) and a focus on more sustainable cereal feedstocks.
Rhian Bartlett, Sainsbury’s chief commercial officer, said: “This 10-year partnership with Cranswick means that we are able to place a bigger focus on animal welfare, financial security for our farmers and sustainable production of our pork range; all while protecting value for customers. Long-term partnerships are not only key to the success of Sainsbury’s but also to the success and stability of the food industry we work in. They’re something we continue to prioritise as a business.”
“Over the next 10 years we, in partnership with Cranswick and the farmers in the Sainsbury’s Pork Producer Group, hope to better prepare ourselves for unforeseen knocks such as price shocks and climate concerns. There is an ever-evolving relationship between retailers, farmers, and processors but we hope this news serves as a good example of what is possible when people come together in the food system.”
