UK Supermarket Chain to Exclusively Sell Locally-Sourced Dairy

In a move that aligns well with the supermarket push to place more of their in-house brands on their shelves, while at the same time keeping pace with consumer demand for locally-sourced products, UK Grocery Store chain Waitrose has announced that it will only sell milk and other dairy products that come from British cows. The products will be sold exclusively under the Essential Waitrose label, a further commitment to their network of 60 British dairy farms, a partnership now in its tenth year that ensures fair prices and best practices.

The store’s website explains their dairy standards, purportedly the highest in the industry:

Waitrose farmers are committed to the animal welfare principles known as the Five Freedoms. The 5 freedoms form the core of our animal welfare standards – freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort and pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behaviour, and freedom from fear and distress.

The benefits go beyond the quality of the product and practices, as these methods help ensure lesser environmental impacts, while also keeping money in local economies.

Waitrose

[via Tree Hugger]