UK | Waitrose has launched a supermarket first, with own-brand fresh cow's milk to sport a new on-pack ‘Championing Regenerative Farming’ logo.
All Waitrose fresh milk and cream is already 100 percent free-range, with Waitrose’s 40 British, dedicated dairy farm suppliers turning their cattle outside to graze for at least 183 days a year.
Charlotte Di Cello, Chief Commercial Officer at Waitrose, was proud to work with farmers who are taking proactive steps to farm with nature.
The new Championing Regenerative Farming logo, found on all Waitrose own-brand fresh milk, reassures customers that the farmers supplying their kitchen staples are staying one step ahead of the herd in protecting nature.
Among those leading the charge is Stuart Rogers of Longmoor Farm in Dorset.
As one of Waitrose’s dedicated dairy farmers, Rogers and his fellow farmers have taken active measures to restore natural systems, from growing cover crops to protect and regenerate living soil by locking in carbon and preventing water run-off, to planting trees directly in grazing fields and actively measuring and improving baseline biodiversity.
Longmoor Farm went completely soya-free with their cow feed a decade ago, switching to homegrown maize planted without ploughing the ground. Rogers has also established new hedgerows of willow, poplar, maple, and hazel to provide shelter and varied grazing for his Holstein cattle.
Recent Waitrose research showed that customers have linked premium food quality to farm-level sustainability. While 53 percent of under-45s and 58 percent of adults aged 45+ state they are most excited about food produced using nature-friendly farming methods.
Waitrose's updated own-brand fresh milk packaging, featuring the new Championing Regenerative Farming logo, will be available on Waitrose shelves and online from September.
More private label news here
