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Co-op launches £820K sustainability fund for farmers
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Co-op has unveiled further backing for British farmers with a new £820K fund to support sustainable farming efforts, building on its long-term investment into UK agriculture.
The investment will see farmers directly rewarded for their efforts in reducing carbon emissions and promoting nature on their farms across beef, lamb and dairy sectors under two new sustainability projects.
Participating farmers will be able to access sustainability payments above the price they are already paid for their products.
The first project focusses on the dairy sector and will see the convenience giant partner with the Soil Association Exchange to support the 140 farmers in its dairy farming group in lowering their carbon footprint and begin to baseline key nature indicators like biodiversity and soil health.
Farmers will be able to choose an action plan that works for them with support from Soil Association Exchange advisors, which could include reducing fertiliser use, increasing fuel efficiency, and investing in solar energy.
The second project – Co-op’s beef sustainability scheme, will reward farmers for adopting on-farm sustainable practices and will be open to members of the retailer’s farming group.
The scheme, which launches after a two-year pilot, will be extended to 15% of Co-op’s beef supply chain this year and include lamb farmers for the first time.
Over 100,000 tonnes of carbon are expected to be saved under the programme over five years as it grows its percentage of its beef and lamb covered by the scheme.
Farmers will be lowering their impact through a range of actions, from breeding more efficient animals to improving forage quality.
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Co-op managing director Matt Hood said: “We know British farmers are facing many challenges and have seen firsthand the fear, anxiety and anger they are currently feeling.
“Backing UK agriculture is more important than ever – at Co-op, this means investing hundreds of millions every year to be one of the few UK retailers to be totally 100% British across meat, poultry and dairy throughout our own supply chain and committing support for farmers addressing the growing need for sustainability and climate resilience.”
He added: “We know our members and customers feel the same and they value being able to buy the high quality, British-sourced products they love.”
Last May, Co-op unveiled “ambitious” new sustainability targets aligned to its credit facilities.
The targets included reducing carbon emissions across its supply chain, with the aim of having two thirds of suppliers enrolled in the Science Based Targets initiatives by the end of 2025.
It also targeted a 650 tonnes reduction in food waste per year, and sought to double the annual funding to Co-op levy share, investing thousands in apprenticeships.
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January 20, 2025 at 11:16AM