Our Mission
Being sustainable is no longer enough, which is why we have committed to supporting more than 2,000 of our British farmers to move to nature-friendly practices.
The Waitrose Farming for Nature programme will:
SUPPORT farming
We are helping our British farmers transition to regenerative agriculture, focusing on improving the health of the soil to make it healthier and more productive.
INCREASE biodiversity
We encourage farming techniques that include a focus on variety in the plants, restorative periods and using animals on the land.
PROTECT the land
We’ll help farms to build resilience against the challenging effects of climate change.
BUILD resilience
We are supporting a financially sustainable future for British farmers and a food system that restores and works in harmony with nature.
Watch: Farming for Nature
Learn more about why we need to take action now.
We’re making changes, too
Waitrose has made a pioneering commitment: by 2035, all of our own-brand UK meat, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables and horticulture will come from farms that use regenerative practices.
The six main princples of regenerative farming are:
UNDERSTANDING FARM CONTEXT
Regenerative farming aims to bring balance between nature and farming.
MINIMISE SOIL DISTURBANCE
The earth is home to the flora and fauna supporting regeneration.
MAXIMISE CROP DIVERSITY
Diverse plant life attracts insects and strengthens a balanced ecosystem.
KEEP SOIL COVERED
This not only helps to protect soil structure, it also helps to enhance soil health.
INTEGRATE LIVESTOCK
Animals graze vegetation naturally, fertilise the soil and contribute to biodiversity.
MAINTAIN LIVING ROOT
The presence of living roots helps to feed the microbial life within the soil.
We’ve teamed up with the experts
We need to make substantial changes in how we farm, so we’re working with key organisations to help us reach our goal of a food system that’s great for both the natural world and for the future of British farming.
We are working with farming partners such as Stuart Rogers, who has been supplying Waitrose with milk for over 25 years. Stuart has been working on regenerative techniques, such as cover cropping to improve soil health, with the help of our Farming for Nature programme.
How we’re supporting British farmers
Key elements of the Farming for Nature initiative include:
Working with Key partners inlcuding:
LEAF
Initially working with 10 farms alongside our own farm at the Leckford Estate in Hampshire. Leckford is set to become a permanent Centre for Excellence, with practical tools, workshops, online resources and mentoring for farmers to accelerate learning and knowledge sharing.
LandApp
This partnership will provide more than 2,000 Waitrose farmers with free access to advanced mapping tools and expert advice, helping them to create bespoke land management plans. This will support the completion of a ‘state of nature’ survey of all our own-brand UK farms, so that farmers and growers can help biodiversity to thrive.
The Soil Association Exchange
This collaboration will help our farmers by measuring their environmental impact and guiding them to transition to more sustainable practices and providing expert advice to enhance sustainability and profitability.
The University of Reading
The university is known for its cutting-edge agricultural research. Together we have implemented a 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.
Farms that flourish
Regenerative farming isn’t new to us; we’ve been testing out techniques on our very own Hampshire farm, the Leckford Estate, for years now. The foods that are produced there – flour, rapeseed oil, apple juice and wine, to name but a few – are sold in Waitrose stores. Every Leckford product you buy supports regenerative agriculture, helping wildlife to thrive and create more resilience in the face of climate change.
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