Ambitious plan aims to boost British sourcing and utilise 100 per cent regenerative farming practices
M&S has outlined its ambition to create a sustainable British farming industry, dubbed its ‘Plan A for Farming’.
The retailer’s range of commitments includes sourcing 100 per cent British across key products such as beef, chicken, pork and milk, and supporting British fresh produce growers to extend their seasons so customers can buy British for longer.
There will be £14mn of investment in sustainable farming and innovation, including £7mn of new cash invested over next five years that includes a new ‘Farming for the Future’ programme.
Funding insight and advice will also be offered to farmers to implement regenerative practices, improve resilience, reduce carbon footprints and deliver the best British food, M&S said.
Thre is also a new commitment that, by 2030, 100 per cent of M&S British products will come from farms using regenerative practices.
Call to action
Alongside outlining its own plans for the sector, M&S has lent its weight to farmers’ calls for government action, and specifically, a clear and concrete target to increase the proportion of food eaten in Britain that is UK-grown.
M&S has called for a range of actions in the government’s Food Strategy to support farmers, including replacing complex government grants with simpler incentives and allowances, and reflecting the UK’s high national standards in both the food that is imported and the trade deals that are struck with other countries.
It also wants to see apprenticeships and training schemes introduced, where businesses, schools, colleges, and universities show young people the opportunities in farming and provide them with the skills and experience to succeed.
“British farming is the backbone of our food industry and the foundation of M&S Food,” said Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food. “British food is the best in the world and at M&S, we’ve invested millions to support our farmers who produce it.
“But the future of British agriculture can’t rest on industry alone. That’s why we’re backing our farmers in their call for government to step up – starting with a clear, legally binding target to increase the proportion of food eaten in Britain that is grown here. It’s time to turn warm words into action.”
Four key points
The full ‘Plan A for Farming’ strategy covers four areas, with ambitions for 2030:
- Backing British Farming – reaffirming the commitment to sourcing 100 per cent British on key proteins like beef, chicken, pork and eggs, whether fresh or ingredient, plus investing to extend the season of key British produce with M&S growers.
- Sustainability at the heart of Farming - all British products available on shelves will come from farms using regenerative practices.
- Farming Standards you can Trust – continuing to collaborate on and support farmers to deliver industry-leading M&S animal welfare, quality, and farming standards by 2030.
- Investing in People, Growing the Future – M&S will support farmers in key supply chains over the long-term, including fair pricing and contracts that give farmers confidence for the future.
