Projects on soft fruit, topfruit and broccoli all receive cash in low-carbon push
A number of fresh produce businesses are among the recipients of a new £500,000 Waitrose fund aimed at helping British farmers transition to low-carbon farming methods.
The net-zero farm fund – which is part of the retailer’s commitment to reach net zero across its UK farms by 2035 and the entire supply chain by 2050 – will support nine innovative projects that reduce agricultural emissions and build resilience in farming.
Waitrose invited over 2,000 farmers and suppliers to apply to the scheme, and nine successful applicants — all of whom directly supply Waitrose — will now implement projects designed to reduce environmental impact and improve sustainability.
The new projects span a range of low-carbon innovations, including water and fertiliser recycling, establishing wilded habitats alongside traditional farming, testing cover cropping in orchards, and converting waste materials like poultry litter into fertiliser.
Additionally, some farms plan to introduce agroforestry and wildflower planting for better water management, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, while others are exploring renewable energy and emissions-tracking systems.
The winning projects included:
- A soft-fruit farm introducing wilded habitats: setting up a wilded habitat alongside intensive tabletop production, and lower-carbon fertiliser and UV robot trials to reduce the need for fungicides on crops.
- Orchards trialling cover cropping: trialling of cover cropping in orchard systems, to reduce artificial inputs and improve fruit quality
- Eggs and broccoli farms trialling waste fertiliser: converting poultry litter for use as fertiliser on broccoli farms.
- A blackberry farm trialling water and fertiliser recycling: piloting a circular solution that captures irrigation runoff (water and fertiliser) that can then be recycled, to reduce water and fertiliser inputs.
James Bailey, managing director at Waitrose, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to support our farmers with projects that will not only help drive down real emissions but help them invest in their futures.
“It’s a challenging time for farmers, yet we saw a real ambition from applicants to the fund to drive forward climate and nature-friendly farming. We’re excited to see the projects come to life and all the amazing benefits they will bring.”
