Innocent Drinks is to make up to £1m available in grants to support regenerative agriculture projects within its supply chain.
The expanded Farmer Innovation Fund would “help safeguard the long-term supply of fruit & veg through regenerative agriculture” and help to decarbonise the company’s supply chain.
Introduced in 2021, the Farmer Innovation Fund provided funding to ingredient suppliers for projects that supported the transition to “low-carbon farming, higher biodiversity and fairer farming practices”, Innocent said.
As over half of Innocent’s carbon footprint came from its ingredients, investing in sustainable farming practices was key to the brand achieving a 50% reduction of its Scope 3 emissions by 2030, it added.
Grants of between £20,000 and £500,000 would be available through the fund, with those over £500,000 also considered on a case-by-case basis, according to Innocent. This represented a tenfold increase in the amount of funding previously available, it said.
Previous winners of the fund include Döhler, which is using its grant to map out how to reduce the carbon footprint in its apple and mango supply chains, and Agrarias Manchegas, which is using it to optimise farm inputs via data management and precision agriculture technology.
“We’re on a mission to help people live well through the delicious goodness of fruit & veg, working to ensure everyone gets enough today and in the future,” said Innocent Drinks CEO Nick Canney. “That’s why we are proud to play a part in helping our suppliers secure fruit & veg for the long term.
“We see the Farmer Innovation Fund as a great opportunity to weave a strong connection from our drinkers to our farmers by working with our suppliers to safeguard the future supply of fruit & vegetables.”
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