Less than 20% of food on sale in supermarkets in Scotland was labelled as Scottish produce, according to new research from the National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland.
ShelfWatch, an NFU initiative aimed at monitoring the availability of Scottish produce on sale at Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl, M&S Food, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco, conducted research over four phases throughout 2024 and early 2025.
The research covered own-brand products at over 290 stores across seven Scottish regions, with over 15,000 products examined in each phase.
While Scottish food was the main objective of this data, the research also captured the sourcing of wider UK (non-Scottish) goods as well as imported produce.
The publication revealed stark variations in Scottish sourcing between the retailers, with just 17% of all own-label products from Scottish origins on average.
Aldi was shown as the clear frontrunner, leading the rankings in every phase of research with an overall average of 40%, followed by Lidl with a 30% average and Co-op with 22%.
More generally, support for British produce was strong among retailers, with an average of 63% of own-label products being sourced within the UK.
NFU Scotland
While this support for domestic sourcing is promising, ShelfWatch also recorded a 6% increase of imports in 2024, which has concerned NFU Scotland, who has challenged retailers to increase Scottish produce on shelves following the report.
NFU Scotland president, Andrew Connon commented: “ShelfWatch has delivered vital insight.
Our clear message to retailers is that by working together, we have a golden opportunity to support Scotland’s farmers and crofters as well as giving their customers more of what they want.
“We know that the value of grocery sales across Scotland is significant, and we believe Scottish farmers and crofters could get a greater share of this value if retailers work with us and the wider industry to take forward the actions we set today.
“Overall, these results show a disappointing level of Scottish sourcing, with around 17% of own-label products labelled as Scottish and no real improvement throughout the year.
“That said, the picture is very mixed across each of the retailers. I’d like to congratulate Aldi in particular, who consistently held the highest levels of Scottish sourcing throughout the year, and also to Lidl for their ongoing commitment. ”
In response to this analysis, NFU Scotland has identified a potential £500 million opportunity for Scottish farmers, crofters and growers if levels of Scottish sourcing was increased by just 12% in the coming years.
To achieve this, NFU Scotland has written to all eight retailers setting out this challenge, outlining the following specific areas where the NFU would like to see action:
- Sourcing: adopt a ‘Scottish First’ policy, prioritising Scottish produce across all commodities and reducing reliance on imports;
- Promotion: development of a programme of promotional campaigns and activities to champion Scottish produce in stores and online, including the creation of a ‘Scottish Shop’ for online customers;
- Fairness: new commitments to ensure fairness in the supply chain and specifically, to end the practice of excessive discounting which undermines the value of food, along with commitments to ensure pricing reflects the true cost of production;
- Labelling: commit to reforming labelling practices to ensure clearer on-pack country-of-origin labelling so that consumers understand where their food comes from;
- In-store branding: end the co-mingling of Scottish and imported products through transparent and clear signage as well as dedicated in-store branding.
“Through this work, we have identified the key areas for action and commitment retailers. NFU Scotland, along with other industry partners, stand ready to work in partnership to support this. If we get it right, the results could be transformational for our farmers, crofters and growers., ” the NFU Scotland president said.
“Of course, none of this will happen in isolation and we need to see effective government policy that supports a vibrant farming industry and enables our members to have the confidence to invest for the future.
“Clearly the nature of local and global supply chains are complex, and there are many factors that contribute to retailers sourcing and labelling decisions. We recognise these complexities and will work with retailers to better understand these factors.
“What this data shows us is the huge opportunities that exist for Scottish agriculture if the right actions and decisions are made. NFU Scotland will be relentless in pursuing these for the betterment of our members and wider industry,” Connon added.
