One of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains is calling for New Zealand lamb producers to become more environmentally friendly.

Representatives from supermarket giant Marks and Spencer are in New Zealand this week meeting with kiwi lamb suppliers to highlight their concerns.

The representatives say British consumers are becoming increasingly aware of issues around food miles and animal welfare, and make decisions based on these factors as much as price.

Crown institute Agresearch has been in talks with the British reps, looking at scientific solutions like reproductive technology and farming systems.

Applied Biotech Manager Dr Jimmy Suttie says the two organisations are on the same page.

"The big issue is that we need to be looking right across the value chain - from the environment in which our animals are farmed in right through to the animals themselves - the food they eat and the way we process and handle them.

"The key to sustainability is understanding the impacts of everything, right across the value chain from the farm to the products and then being able to optimise that."

Dr Suttie says such visits may become an increasingly common as consumers around the world wake up to the same issues.