British supermarket giant Tesco has announced that Sofina Foods Europe, a protein production company, will be joining the Tesco Sustainable Pig Group (TSPG). This partnership is set to boost the number of pigs supplied through this initiative by nearly 30%.
The TSPG, which had a relaunch last year in collaboration with Cranswick, one of Tesco’s long-standing suppliers, offers farmers a mix of incentives related to production costs and market prices. This structure aims to provide producers with more price stability while facilitating long-term investments in their operations.
This development comes amid a 20% year-over-year rise in Tesco’s British pig meat volumes, with British pork now making up 65% of the supermarket’s overall pig meat sales.
With the addition of Sofina Foods, the TSPG will now encompass roughly 23% of Tesco’s British pork supply and 15% of its total pig meat supply. Tesco has announced that the group is responsible for the production of all Tesco’s Finest fresh pork and aims to cover all core fresh pork and sausages, with plans to expand this to additional products in the pig meat category over the next two years.
Graham Wilkinson, the agriculture director at Sofina Foods Europe, remarked: “Sofina is proud to support Tesco’s continued development of the Tesco Sustainable Pig Group. The expansion of the group is a positive step for our independent farmers and the long-term resilience of the British pig sector.”
He continued, “In a rapidly changing industry, partnerships like this provide farmers with greater confidence and stability, enabling investment in sustainable production while maintaining high animal welfare and environmental standards. It also further strengthens our long-standing relationship with Tesco, which is built on shared values and a shared commitment to supporting farming communities for the long term.”
Natalie Smith, Tesco’s head of sustainable agriculture and fisheries, highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by British farmers. She noted, “Conditions for our dedicated British farmers continue to be challenging – as British agriculture’s biggest customer, we want to do all we can to drive growth in the sector and improve supply chain resilience.”
Smith emphasized that “the expansion of our Tesco Sustainable Pig Group is a key part of this aim. The group provides our British pig farmers with real incentives to invest in key welfare, sustainability and efficiency improvements, including the switch to dynamic farrowing systems, while our customers benefit from even more quality British pork.”
Tesco further indicated that within the TSPG, over 80% of pigs are raised according to higher welfare standards, such as being outdoor bred or using dynamic farrowing systems. All farmers in the group monitor their carbon footprint and are actively working to lower emissions.
