The move follows new research from Tesco canvassing the views of hundreds of UK farmers. The results showed an overwhelming 91% want government to do more to support farming resilience – something UK consumers also support, with 89% of customers believing the Government should be doing more to aid UK farmers.
The research found the majority of farmers (68%) want to do more to make their farms more environmentally friendly, but 96% of farmers cite inconsistent environmental standards and data reporting as a key barrier. A further 73% reported difficulties getting vital innovation onto farms that will improve efficiency, resilience and sustainability.
Soil health, critical to farm productivity and the ability to grow food was called out by 64% of farmers as a particular area of concern.
In response, Tesco has launched a “significant extension” of its environmental data baselining programme costing £1.5 million with the aim to help hundreds of British lamb and beef farmers capture soil, water and nature data at scale for the first time
Known as the ‘Tesco Sustainable Farming Programme’, it is being delivered in partnership with Soil Association Exchange (SAX) and will support 360 beef and lamb farmers from Tesco’s Sustainable Farming Groups to capture soil, water and nature data.
The plan is that this will establish clear baseline measurements over the initial 12 months, providing farmers with tailored advice to strengthen farm resilience and efficiency, the supermarket chain said.
The programme builds on Tesco’s financial incentives scheme, which it launched in August. The scheme included more than £800k to support Tesco dairy farmers to assess and establish a baseline for soil and water health on their farms.
Commenting, Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad said: “British farmers are the backbone of our food system but they face unprecedented pressure, from rising costs and climate shocks to uncertainty over government policy. They tell us data is vital to measuring and driving improvements in sustainability and efficiency on farms, but the patchwork approach to data across the UK has resulted in a lack of a unified or standardised framework to track industry-wide progress or share insight and best practice."
Minette Batters, former NFU President, added: “Farmers are working hard to feed the nation sustainably, but they cannot do it alone. Establishing and supporting a consistent national baselining framework is essential if we are to measure progress fairly, unlock new opportunities, and build resilience across the sector. The whole industry must work together to support farmers in this transition and ensure UK agriculture can thrive in the years ahead.”
The new initiative builds on recommendations set out in Tesco’s Greenprint for UK Farming Report, which called for standardised data and insights to help farmers futureproof their businesses and reduce their environmental impact.
Last year Tesco joined forces with Arla and Müller UK & Ireland to launch a new sustainability partnership.
