Lidl GB today (Wednesday, October 15) announced a “landmark”, five year £30 billion investment to support farmers, growers, suppliers and also back sustainability initiatives.

The supermarket group, which opened its first Lidl GB store in 1994, said the investment will continue to focus on “building long-term partnerships with farmers, growers and suppliers across England, Scotland and Wales”.

Richard Bourns, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB, said today the investment “is a clear, long-term commitment to British farmers and growers – a commitment that places British food and farming at the heart of our growth plans”.

“By backing British, we aim to provide over 650 British suppliers the confidence and security to invest in their own businesses, laying the foundations for sustainable future growth.

“Our success is rooted in the brilliance of the suppliers we work with, and we’re extremely proud of the growth we’ve achieved together,” Bourns added.

Lidl GB

According to Lidl GB, the investment will support a broad range of key British food categories from fruit and vegetables to meat and poultry.

It also signals the supermarket group’s commitment to a number of sustainability initiatives including:

  • 100% Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) marque certification across all British fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers;
  • Funding for water catchment projects like UK Food and Drink Pact Water (WRAP) roadmap;
  • Growth of its Sustainable Beef Group – investing £1.5 billion in British beef production;
  • Collaboration with partners such as the ruumi app, providing beef farmers with digital innovation.

The UK Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Angela Eagle, believes Lidl GB’s investment is a “strong vote of confidence in the quality and reliability of British farming and we’re proud to support partnerships that recognise the excellence of all that our farmers produce”.

“By backing British produce we’re not just supporting our rural communities and agricultural workforce; we’re investing in sustainable food systems that will benefit consumers and the environment for generations to come – aligning with our vision for a resilient food strategy as part of our Plan for Change,” Minister Eagle added.