Waitrose has announced the launch of a £500,000 fund to support its British farmers in their transition to net zero emissions.
The fund is part of Waitrose’s Farming For Nature Programme and will finance projects, by farmers and suppliers, that will support the adoption of low-carbon farming practices.
Individual grants will be made available to British farmers or producers who supply Waitrose.
The programme will invite applications to fund projects that will reduce the carbon emissions associated with the products supplied to Waitrose, as well as helping boost resilience to combat the effects of climate change.
“We know every farm is unique and we want to ensure that our Waitrose farmers have the support they need to make nature-friendly changes that work for them,” said James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose. “The fund is about giving farmers access to financial backing to invest in sustainable practices that will benefit their farms in the long run and support a rapid reduction in the carbon footprint of the food we eat.”
The funding is available for small-scale projects as well as large-scale investments such as rainwater capture tanks or low carbon heating systems, and is in addition to the £1m investment in the Farming For Nature fund.
“Funds such as these complement the government’s focus on ensuring farming becomes more profitable and businesses are viable for the future – delivering the long-term food security this country needs while protecting nature’s capacity to provide the stable climate, clean water and healthy soils that make farming possible,” said Daniel Zeichner, minister for food security and rural affairs.
The announcement is part of Waitrose’s commitment to achieve net zero across its UK farms by 2035 and its entire supply chain by 2050.
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