Convenience grocery chain Co-op has announced further backing for UK agriculture with a new £820,000 fund to support sustainable farming efforts.
Building on the retailer’s long-term investment in UK agriculture, which includes last year’s ‘beef sustainability’ project to reward beef farmers for more sustainable practices and an ongoing Future Farming Fund to boost biodiversity, the new project will extend the number of suppliers that can benefit from Co-op support.
The new fund will be allocated across two key projects.
One project, in partnership with the Soil Association, will support the 140 farmers in its Dairy Farming Group to decarbonise and baseline key nature indicators like biodiversity and soil health. The other is an extension of Co-op’s Beef Sustainability Scheme, which will reward farmers for adopting on-farm sustainable practices and will be open to members of Co-op’s farming Group.
After what Co-op described as a successful two-year pilot, this scheme is being rolled out to 15% of the retailer’s beef supply chain in 2025 and will include lamb farmers for the first time. The goal is for more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon to be saved under the programme over a five-year period as farmers reduce their impact through measures such as breeding more efficient animals through to improving forage quality.
Matt Hood, managing director at Co-op, commented: “We know British farmers are facing many challenges and have seen firsthand the fear, anxiety and anger they are currently feeling.
“Backing UK agriculture is more important than ever – at Co-op, this means investing hundreds of millions every year to be one of the few UK retailers to be totally 100% British across meat, poultry and dairy throughout our own supply chain and committing support for farmers addressing the growing need for sustainability and climate resilience.”
Tom Bramall, dairy farmer & chair of the Co-op Dairy Group, added: “In these uncertain times for our industry, we need to work together across the supply chain.
“Farmers like me, want to play our part when it comes to sustainability, but we need support. It’s fantastic to see the Co-op directly rewarding farmers and recognise the positive role we play in addressing the issues around climate change.”
Co-op said its aim is to drive innovation, promote productivity, and improve climate resilience within the agricultural sector.
[image credit: Green Retail World]
