Discount supermarket Lidl has signed up to the NFU’s fruiting Veg Pledge, making a commitment to treat its groceries suppliers fairly.

The pledge includes long term commitments such providing suppliers with price certainty and timely payments (and not imposing unexpected charges on them), offering production programmes as far in advance as possible (with a benchmark of one year notice). It also includes obligations to commit to horticulture research and development, reduce waste by providing growers with realistic product specifications and committing to seasonality - buying from British growers when crops that can be grown on these shores are in season.

Lidl said pledge highlighted its commitment to ensuring security for suppliers, fair terms, price certainty and elimination of wasteland said the chain will continue to endeavour to move beyond these responsibilities.

Lidl’s Commercial Director Ryan McDonnell said, “We are very proud to have developed and maintained strong, long-standing relationships with all our suppliers, and our commitment to the NFU pledge cements this further. We’re also very keen to ensure that our sourcing process supports the growth and development of UK growers.”

NFU’s horticulture and potatoes board chair Ali Capper commented, “Our goal is to generate integrity, honesty and openness across the market and that can only come from the key asks within our pledge – which includes price certainty, transparent working and strong, long term relationships that are fair for everyone involved. Lidl, with its already long history of working closely with its suppliers, is an ideal candidate to make the pledge.”