Our suppliers

Supporting the local economy and working with the Irish food and agricultural industry is a core value for Tesco Ireland. We are committed to sourcing local products where possible.

Tesco spent €1.28 billion on Irish products and services in 2007 The overall value of Tesco to the Irish economy is estimated at €2.5 billion We exported €655 million of Irish food to our international network in 2007 Tesco Ireland’s sales of Irish food products have increased by 26% since 2004 50% of our food range is Irish-produced

Our objective

Supporting the local economy and working with the Irish food and agricultural industry is a core value for Tesco Ireland. We are committed to sourcing local products where possible.

Tesco Ireland puts ethical trading at the heart of its operations by adhering to the Ethical Trading Initiative and making sustainable environmental impact a key business priority.

Our actions

Our commitment to supporting the Irish economy on a national and local basis has been central to our development in Ireland.

We are the largest single buyer of Irish food products in the world, and have pioneered programmes to foster entrepreneurial development in the Irish food and agricultural sector.

Developing export opportunities for Irish food in Tesco Britain is another priority for Tesco Ireland.

We accounted for Irish food exports of €654.8 million in 2006, making Tesco itself the second largest export market for Irish food, behind Britain and ahead of France, Germany, and the US.

The total demand of Irish-origin food and other products supported by the Tesco Group amounted to €1.94 billion during 2006.

We have contributed to jobs growth in the Irish food and agricultural sector, and support approximately 14,000 jobs among Irish suppliers.

Supporting Irish jobs

Employment at Tesco Ireland has increased by 55% in the last decade, to over 13,000 people. By comparison, employment across all internationally owned industry in the same period increased by 17%.

Tesco's wage bill in Ireland is €227.5 million – up almost 70% since 2002.

Supporting the Irish economy

Tesco stores outside of Ireland are the second biggest buyers in the world of Irish food and drink. They even eclipse France, which has traditionally been Ireland's second biggest food and drink export market.

Indecon Economic Consultants published a report in November 2007 on "The Impact of Tesco on the Irish Economy", which found that:

• Exports of Irish-origin food and other products into the Tesco Group internationally have increased by 86.4% in five years
• Tesco Ireland contributed €135.5 million to the Irish exchequer in 2007 – up 17.2% in two years