M&S and Agrisound team up to boost crop growth on British farms

M&S has announced a three-year partnership with agri-tech start-up AgriSound to help farmers better manage pollinators and increase crop yields.

The collaboration will see two M&S Select Farms in Kent and Cambridgeshire install sensors that allow them to track the number of pollinators visiting their farm in real-time and set targets for improving insect numbers.

It comes as part of the M&S’ five-year Farming with Nature programme, launched last year, to support the retailer’s Select Farmers to become more resilient to climate change and biodiversity loss.

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Currently, over 70% of the world’s food crops grown for human consumption rely on pollinators for sustained production, yield and quality.

“Pollinators play a vital role in helping us to deliver the best quality fruit we can at the farm – so we’re keen to see the impact of different wildflower densities in the orchard alleys on activity,” Plumford Farm director, Chris Elworthy said.

He added: “With so many current environmental challenges, it’s now more important than ever to understand pollinators better.”

M&S’ latest Family Matters Index revealed that the environment is one of the top concerns for UK families, with 64% concerned about the impact on future generations.

“Pollinators are the unsung heroes of British farming – helping to improve yields and quality while benefitting the wider environment,” M&S Food technical director Andrew Clappen said.

“Since we launched Farming with Nature, we’ve been hosting workshops offering advice to our M&S Select Farmers on the best ways to attract more pollinators.

“Now, by partnering with AgriSound, both Plumford farm and G’s Growers will have real-time data and valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not.”

The specialist listening devices developed by AgriSound, named PollyTM, monitor the density of key pollinators including bumblebees and honeybees.

AgriSound founder and CEO Casey Woodward, added: “We’re delighted to team up with M&S and install some of our PollyTM devices across two innovative producer sites.

“The development of PollyTM has taken years of dedicated research and it is exciting to see our technology beginning to deliver unique insights into pollinator activity.”

The news comes as last year, M&S reset its sustainability programme Plan A, to have an unrelenting focus on becoming a fully net zero business by 2040 and to support customers to make more sustainable choices.

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