Waitrose executive hints at price increases as supermarket shifts to eco-friendly farming practices

Waitrose's boss says climate change is making food prices go up. James Bailey, the supermarket's director, says the cost of groceries will rise because they will get all their meat, eggs, milk, fruit, and veggies from 'regenerative farms'. This means farms that help the environment. Bailey thinks people need to understand that food is valuable and prices should go up. He wants to teach customers about regenerative farming and its importance. Food prices have been going up because of global problems like Covid19 and the war in Ukraine. Supermarket prices were 4.5% higher in March compared to last year. This is the lowest increase since before the war in Ukraine. But many people still find it hard to afford food. Grocery prices went up a lot in March 2023 but have been dropping since then. Supermarkets made a lot of profit while many people struggled to buy food. Waitrose wants to get most of its UK meat, milk, eggs, fruit, and veggies from farms that help the environment by 2035. They want to use less pesticides and help pollinators. Bailey thinks this will be good for the environment and make farming profitable. He says other supermarket bosses are worried about how food production affects the climate. Prices might go up, but it could lead to better food choices. Bailey believes that we might need to eat less meat but of better quality. He thinks customers should lead the change in how food is produced. It can be hard for customers to understand all the information about food labels in supermarkets. Bailey wants to make it easier for people to make good food choices.