Waitrose & Partners

Our new initiative

At Waitrose, we’ve always shown respect for nature, animals and the people who make and supply our products. Putting them first has won us more Compassion in World Farming awards than any other supermarket. And now we’re going one step further with our Farming for Nature initiative.

What it’s all about

Building on our commitment to reach net zero across our UK farms by 2035 (and our entire supply chain by 2050), we’re supporting more than 2,000 British farmers to move to more nature-friendly practices. This will help to both combat the effects of climate change and ensure our farms have the financial and logistical support needed to help us reach our targets.

How we’re achieving our ambition

The focus is on what’s commonly referred to as regenerative agriculture. This describes holistic farming systems that, among other benefits, improve soil, water and air quality, enhance ecosystem biodiversity, produce nutrient-dense food, and store carbon to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

How we’re supporting British farmers

Key elements of the Farming for Nature initiative include:

Working with LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) to ensure all our global fresh produce growers are LEAF certified by 2026.
Establishing a three-year programme with LEAF, initially working with eight farms alongside our own farm at the Leckford Estate in Hampshire. Leckford is set to become a permanent Centre of Excellence, with practical tools, workshops, online resources and mentoring for farmers.

Working closely with the University of Reading – known for its cutting-edge agricultural research – we’ll implement the Knowledge Transfer Programme, backed by a grant from UK Research and Innovation. Its aim is to help bridge the gap between best practice and current approaches to farming by providing farmers with new resources.
Completing a ‘state of nature’ survey of all our own-brand UK farms to create land management plans, so that farmers and growers can help biodiversity to thrive.

James Bailey, Waitrose Executive Director

“We know that many of our customers are worried about the impact that modern farming has on nature and wildlife. We want them to know that when they shop with us, they are contributing to a food system that restores and works in harmony with the natural world, and which supports a financially sustainable future for British farmers.

“At Waitrose, we have a duty to help our farmers make the move towards more nature-friendly growing, and we’re committed to playing our part in the revolution that our country’s food system requires.”