Waitrose farm to be test hub for all future farming innovation as it aspires to be net zero by 2035 – Retail Times

The Waitrose farm on the Leckford Estate will be a test bed for farming innovation over the next 15 years and will be critical in helping Waitrose play its part in helping to tackle climate change. 

Writing to customers, James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose, explains: “We pledged last year that our UK farm-supplier network would be net zero by 2035 and while it is going to be challenging to get there, there’s no doubt in my mind how pivotal this will be in the fight against climate change. 

“So how do we do it? 

“Our farm on the Leckford Estate has long been a unique asset for the Partnership, providing many products to our customers, including mushrooms, apples, pears, cider, sparkling wine, apple juice , cold-pressed rapeseed oil and flour. And while this will continue, from today, it will have another equally important purpose.

“Over the next 15 years, we will use our farmland at Leckford and the full weight of our resources to facilitate radical change across our industry. Specifically, we will use a combination of research and practical application to identify the best farming techniques to help us manage this land in a way that is kinder to the environment.

“Whether it’s planting trees to promote biodiversity, or reducing water usage to protect resources or using regenerative soil practices that help sequester carbon, our focus will be on biology rather than chemistry. 

“Leckford will be an experiment in farming best practice, one that we hope will pave the way to genuine solutions to help conserve our soil, air and water for future generations and importantly, help us to deliver our 2035 commitment.

“There is, however, little value in doing this work alone and we are realistic about what this can achieve in isolation. This is why we intend to share all our findings with our farmers, suppliers and anyone interested across the agriculture and retail industries, to elevate regeneration and conservation from a status of “nice to have” to essential everyday farming practice.

“To succeed, it’s critical that we bring our farmers on the journey with us. Fortunately, having worked closely with the majority of them for decades, we know that they share our high standards, not only in terms of quality, high welfare and provenance, but in regard to our treatment of the environment too.

“Similarly, we know how adaptive they can be. Whether it’s working flat out through a global pandemic or adjusting to the biggest changes to UK farming for 50 years, our farmers have always persevered through the most extreme adversity and managed to deliver. And as we stand on the precipice of the biggest challenge we will ever face in our lifetimes, we will need that spirit and determination again.

“Our farmers are partners in the success of our business and it’s because of this that we will never ask them to do anything we’re not prepared to do ourselves. 

“We hope therefore that by leading this work, we can define what the future of UK farming should look like. And in its discovery, use what we’ve learned to create a balance in our food system that will help reduce the impact that food production has on our planet.”

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “It is good to see Waitrose commit to innovative farming practices which will contribute to their net zero ambitions. 

“Last year, the Government set out how we will transform the way we support and incentivise farmers to farm more sustainably, create space for nature and enhance animal welfare. These incentives will provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of our 25 Year Environment Plan and our commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.”

Examples of innovation, waste management and regenerative farming at Leckford:

Innovation and waste management:

Regenerative farming:

In support, the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North said: “I have seen at first hand some of the exciting innovations Waitrose and Partners are developing at Leckford to meet their net zero by 2035 ambitions across their UK farming network.  

“It is so vital that we look at our farming systems and make sure the regenerative agriculture techniques and learnings at Leckford are spread through the supply network. 

“I am confident this will help farmers make food production as kind to nature and the planet as possible.”