Tesco has partnered with the Harper Adams University’s School of Sustainable Food and Farming (SSFF) to launch a new multi-year programme which aims to help future British farmers develop their skills in sustainable agriculture.
The Future Farmer Programme will provide 75 young farmers with face-to-face and live online training on how to implement sustainable agriculture practices, reach net-zero and how to protect biodiversity.
The nine-month course, which will run each year for the next three years, will also include events and mentoring sessions on business operations and personal development.
Farmers under the age of 40 from different agricultural sectors will be encouraged to apply for the programme ahead of its start date in October.
As part of the Partnership with SSFF, the UK’s largest retailer will also fund research projects aimed at addressing some of the key sustainability challenges affecting agriculture.
Tesco has provided much-needed support across several farming sectors over the last 18 months – to help overcome inflationary challenges – which have affected the prices of inputs such as feed, fertiliser, energy and labour.
For example, back in January the supermarket teamed up with five of its largest field vegetable suppliers to launch the UK’s biggest ever commercial roll-out of low-carbon fertiliser.
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Tesco’s chief product officer, Ashwin Prasad said: “British agriculture plays a crucial role in protecting and enhancing our natural environment and will be right at the heart of the UK’s efforts to achieve its net zero ambitions.
“It’s also had to overcome some incredibly tough challenges over the past two years, which is why we’re committed to supporting it, both now and in the future.”
Prasad added: “With this in mind, I’m delighted to be launching this new programme with Harper Adams University, which will see some of the brightest young talents in the industry benefit from training and support in implementing sustainable agriculture techniques, helping to safeguard the industry, and our natural environment, for future generations.”
Director of the SSFF at Harper Adams University, Simon Thelwell commented: “We are entering a hugely exciting but challenging next chapter for UK Agriculture.
“The transition to more sustainable food production systems is a significant change for many farmers, and so understanding these issues, identifying the opportunities they present, and being prepared to make change is the key focus of the course,” he said.
