Sustainable diets

Our goal is to support and empower our customers to eat more sustainably and in doing so, maintain long-term food security. The Planetary Health Diet is the scientific basis for global dietary change. If everyone were to follow a plant-based diet, around 10 billion people could be fed healthy food by 2050 without overburdening the planet. To support this transition, we are taking steps to better understand the status of our customer’s diets and setting goals to support the transition towards more sustainable diets.

Our strategy aims to gradually increase the share of plant-based protein sources we sell and to promote the consumption of sustainably sourced raw materials and meat-based products.

Annual Protein Disclosure

We have committed to reporting the sales of plant-based protein as a percentage of overall protein on an annual basis.

Sustainable diets protein disclosure

Increasing plant-based protein sources

Vemondo

We are committed to increasing the proportion of plant-based protein sources in line with the Planetary Health Diet. To support this, we have set a market-leading commitment to shift the proportion of plant-based proteins to 25% of the volume of total protein we sell by 2030. We are also committing to doubling the proportion of sales of plant-based protein from dairy alternatives in the same period. These commitments develop on our existing commitment to deliver a 400% sales increase in our own brand meat free and milk alternative range, by the end of 2025.

To support customers that wish to buy vegan and vegetarian products within our stores we have launched the Vemondo Plant! product range. Through the expansion of the range, strengthened nutritional quality, increased visibility in stores and heightened marketing efforts, not to mention offering the lowest prices for plant-based products on the market, we are making sustainable choices accessible to everyone. In addition to the Vemondo Plant! range, we sell a wide assortment of nuts and pulses, all of which are captured within our protein disclosure reporting.

CIWF

Our leadership in the protein transition was recognised with the Bronze Planet Friendly Award from Compassion In World Farming (CIWF) at the Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards 2024. The awards recognise market-leading food companies for policies or commitments that benefit farm animals and the environment.

Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director of Food Business, Compassion in World Farming, stated: "We congratulate Lidl GB on receiving the Bronze level Planet Friendly Award for their leadership in launching the UK’s first ambitious protein strategy, with the goal of growing its plant-based sales to 25% of its total protein sales come 2030. Lidl is setting an example in the UK retail sector, and we hope their initiative inspires other supermarkets to consider the impact their business has on planetary health."

Sustainable sourcing

Alongside developing our plant-based range, and helping customers to access a more sustainable diet, we are committed to sourcing our key raw materials from responsible and sustainable sources. These include fruit and vegetables, soy, palm oil, coffee, tea, cocoa, rice, nuts, meat, fish and seafood. In addition to this, we recognise the role that British livestock farming plays in supporting sustainable production and ensure 100% of our British produce is sourced to Red Tractor standards.

Full details can be found in the Healthy & Sustainable Diets policy: https://corporate.lidl.co.uk/sustainability/policies