A new report has revealed that major supermarkets are missing a golden opportunity to back Scottish farmers and crofters.
NFU Scotland’s ShelfWatch initiative found that just 17% of own-brand supermarket food was labelled as Scottish.
The survey covered eight of the UK’s biggest chains and spanned over 290 stores with more than 15,000 products examined during each of its four research phases.
Aldi topped the list with an average of 40% Scottish-sourced own-brand products, followed by Lidl at 30% and Co-op at 22%.
At the other end of the scale, M&S showed the biggest year-on-year improvement but still fell short of expected levels.
The average across all retailers remained stubbornly low, and NFU Scotland says this lack of support is holding back the nation’s food producers.
ShelfWatch also revealed that 63% of own-brand food was sourced from the UK more generally, meaning some Scottish produce may have been included under a ‘British’ label.
That said, the same research found that imported goods on shelves increased by 6% in 2024, a trend that has caused concern within the farming industry.
According to NFU Scotland, if supermarkets increased their Scottish sourcing by just 12%, it could unlock an extra £500 million for the country’s farmers and crofters.
The Union has written to all eight retailers with a four-point plan to improve support for Scottish agriculture.
This includes a call for a ‘Scottish First’ policy when sourcing produce, especially when local alternatives are available.
NFU Scotland is also urging supermarkets to boost the visibility of Scottish goods with clearer signage and online ‘Scottish Shop’ features.
Another key demand is for fairer treatment of farmers, including ending practices that drive down prices and damage the value of homegrown food.
On-pack labelling reform is also high on the list, with a push for more transparent country-of-origin tags so customers know exactly where their food comes from.
The Union also wants to see an end to co-mingling of Scottish and imported products on shelves, which often leaves shoppers confused and Scottish producers overlooked.
President of NFU Scotland, Andrew Connon, said the ShelfWatch data showed what needed to change.
He praised Aldi and Lidl for leading the way but described the overall picture as disappointing.
He added that better supermarket partnerships and improved government policy could bring transformational change to Scotland’s food economy.
Connon warned that this opportunity won’t materialise unless meaningful steps are taken now.
He pledged that NFU Scotland will be relentless in pushing for better support, fairness, and visibility for Scottish produce.
The ShelfWatch data has shed light on the gaps and shown the scale of the opportunity waiting to be seized.
