Nature and climate-friendly food production is set to be demonstrated at five UK farms thanks to a new project between online supermarket Ocado and the Soil Association charity.
According to the retailer and charity, these farms will play a role in the adoption of nature and climate-friendly farming practices around the UK – with each farm focusing on a different area, from dairy cows, beef and sheep to orchard fruit and potatoes. Each site will host training sessions for other farmers, sharing technical expertise and support on a range of so-called nature-friendly agricultural practices.
The sessions will cover agroforestry, which combines trees with livestock and crops to provide shade and protection from floods and drought, and restoring hedgerows to encourage natural predators and reduce the need for harmful pesticides.
In addition, the demo farms will use more diverse crop rotations, including deep-rooting herbal grass leys and legumes like peas, beans and clovers, which have been found to boost soil health and restore nitrogen naturally. They act as an alternative to fossil-fuel derived artificial fertilisers.
Hannah Gibson, Ocado Retail CEO, remarked: “Supporting local farmers and promoting homegrown produce is something we care deeply about at Ocado.
“Earlier this year, we launched a ‘Best of British’ aisle on site to make it easier for our customers to shop for food that’s farmed and produced in the UK. Our new partnership with the Soil Association reinforces our commitment and, by working with farmers who are pioneering agroecological farming practices, we’re increasing the quality, freshness and sustainability of the food we’re able to offer our customers.”
Helen Browning, Soil Association CEO, added: “Nature is under threat in the UK and, with 70% of land under farming, we believe farmers need support to shift away from the most damaging practices of intensive farming to restore biodiversity and mitigate the worst risks of climate change.”
The partnership will also support research to advance farm animal welfare, working closely with farmers to enhance positive animal welfare and demonstrate how giving farmed animals a good life is practical, profitable, and sustainable. Ocado and Soil Association are also set to build a ‘Farm to Fork Ambassadors programme’, with the aim of encouraging people providing healthy and sustainable food to share their stories and experiences with others in the industry.
There is currently a significant focus from food retailers on supporting farmers adopt more sustainable practices. Announcements from Morrisons, Co-op, Tesco, and Waitrose have all been covered on Green Retail World in the last few months.
[Image credit: Ocado Retail/Soil Association]
