Speciality Food Jan/Feb 2026

6 @specialityfood WWF advises that supermarkets are playing with fire According to the WWF’s latest report, What’s in Store for the Planet 2025, supermarkets are key drivers of the destruction of a positive future for the food industry. The report advises that the stagnating progress of retailers to reduce their environmental risks is threatening future commercial viability, which alongside the growing scale of climate change and nature loss will prove to be highly damaging for food security. 90% of the UK grocerymarket from 10major retailers – Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl GB, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco andWaitrose – provided data for the report. Key areas of concern include: • Deforestation and land conversion: retailers are set tomiss 2025 targets on removing deforestation and conversion. Missing these targets will severely impact their ability to hit broader climate targets. • Climate: retailers are far from reducing indirect emissions, which accounts for 90% of their total emissions. • Diet: retailers are not being proactive enoughwhen it comes to diversifying protein diversification, and are selling twice the target proportion of meat for health and sustainable diets. • Agriculture: Livestock production standardsmust be increased to improve to hit sustainability targets; retailersmust upscale their sustainable sourcing efforts. Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, said, “The way we currently produce food is contributing to climate change and devastating our natural world. It is only by protecting our environment that we can maintain our ability to growhealthy and affordable food for everyone. By not meeting their commitments supermarkets are playing with fire. “The impacts of climate change are being felt in every area assessed in this WWF report. And this raises questions about whether supermarkets will, in the years and decades to come, be able to provide the wide range of produce we currently take for granted and at an affordable price. "Drought, floods and other severe weather events are already creating food price inflationwhich every consumer is feeling in their pocket. "For the good of their customers, and for their own commercial viability, retailersmust act now to embed sustainability at every stage of their decision-making. The clock is ticking." Dr Mike Barrett, chief scientific advisor at WWF, said, “While this report outlines actions the retail sector should take tomeet 2030 commitments, the UK Government has a crucial role in helping shift the food systemby enabling and incentivising retailers and supply chain actors to collectively reach this goal. “Deforestation is a prime example – retailers havemade a coordinated effort to remove it fromsupply chains, but without regulation it’s very difficult. The Environment Act 2021 provides for a duty of due diligence on importers to ensure produce was not grown on deforested land –whenwill the government bring it into force?” Cheese business Joseph Heler Cheese has marked the next chapter in the company’s move from single farmhouse cheesemaker tomulti-site food group by rebranding to Heler Foods. The new name is a reflection of the business’s ambition across its expanding portfolio. At present, this portfolio spans cheesemaking, cutting and packing, branding and innovation, ecommerce, international export and health- led categories, and brings together sites in Cheshire, NorthWales and Lincolnshire. The business now has over 500 colleagues and supplies customers in more than 50 international markets. Joseph Heler will be retained as a product brand in reference to the business’s heritage, which began in Joseph Heler announces rebrand to reflect ambition and growth 1957 and remains family-owned. George Heler, CEO, said, “Heler Foods brings everything we do under one family-driven identity. While our name has evolved, our ownership, values, and commitment to quality remain exactly the same. This change recognises how far we’ve come - and the opportunities ahead.” Sarah Griffith, people director, said, “This rebrand celebrates both our proud past and ambitious future. It reflects the culture and purpose that unite our people across every site - to give others the confidence to change and shape the future. We’re not just a family of cheesemakers anymore; we’re a family of changemakers.”