Tesco has named Swiss agri-tech company AgroSustain as the winner of the early-stage category of its 2026 Agri-tech Challenge, with livestock technology business Herd Advance taking the late-stage category.
The winners were announced following a live final at Tesco’s headquarters this week, with both businesses set to gain access to the retailer’s supply chain as they work to demonstrate how their technologies can address challenges facing British farmers.
AgroSustain has developed ‘Tornado’, a sealing technology designed to strengthen plant resilience and protect crops from environmental stresses.
The technology creates an invisible physical barrier on the surface of plants using edible ingredients. It is designed to help crops withstand challenging conditions including drought and salinity, with the potential to reduce crop losses, support yields and reduce reliance on conventional treatments.
As part of its prize, AgroSustain will receive fast-track introductions to Tesco’s supplier network and a trial with one of the retailer’s supply chain partners.
Herd Advance’s ‘Stockman’ technology, meanwhile, is designed to improve cattle monitoring and handling by capturing health and performance data in real time as animals drink.
The automated system monitors measures including weight, water intake and temperature, while enabling farmers to remotely draft and move cattle between pens without manual handling.
The technology is intended to give farmers greater insight into livestock, while reducing handling and stress for cattle and addressing labour and health and safety challenges. Herd Advance will receive specialist mentoring from a Tesco supplier partner and conduct a trial within the retailer’s beef supply chain.
The two technologies come as farmers increasingly look to innovation to improve efficiency and profitability. Tesco’s annual Greenprint survey of 151 UK farmers found 58% had introduced an innovation in the past year, compared with 46% in 2025.
Some 83% of farmers surveyed agreed innovation can improve farm efficiency, while 72% said it can improve profitability. However, 76% said getting innovation onto farms is challenging or very challenging.
Funding and access to trials remain key issues, with 72% calling for more government and retailer funding for innovative farm technology. Almost half (48%) want subsidised opportunities to trial new approaches, up nine percentage points year-on-year.
Tesco group quality, technical & sustainability director Claire Lorains said farmers were telling the retailer that “innovation has a critical role to play” in making the industry more productive, efficient and resilient.
She added that promising ideas need a practical route to implementation on farm, particularly following challenging conditions including record heat and widespread drought.
Both winners will also receive direct access to Tesco’s sustainable agriculture & fisheries team and connections with relevant supplier partners through innovation platform Leading Edge Only.
The 2026 Agri-tech Challenge is the ninth edition of the programme, which introduced separate pathways this year for technologies at different readiness levels.
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[main image credit: Green Retail World]
