Tesco has revealed that it is partnering with five of its largest field vegetable suppliers to support the UK’s biggest-ever commercial roll-out of low-carbon fertiliser, which will boost the UK’s food security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain.
The roll-out is expected to reduce GHG emissions by up to 20% in the first year alone, at no extra cost to farmers.
Eight fertiliser alternatives will be used across 1,300 hectares in the 2023 growing season, with plans to scale up to a minimum of 4,000 hectares in 2024 across Tesco’s field veg suppliers.
With chemical fertiliser costs rising by as much as 140% over the last year, the retailer noted that low-carbon fertilisers could also be a cost-effective alternative for farmers struggling with shortages caused by the war in Ukraine. Six of the eight fertiliser producers will be manufacturing their products in the UK from material including food waste, chicken litter, fire extinguisher waste and algae.
Production of low carbon fertiliser in the UK is expected to create green jobs and could help reduce the reliance on chemical fertilisers. The UK currently imports around 60% of the fertiliser it needs, while UK production has recently been hit by the closure of chemical fertiliser plants. The initiative aims to accelerate uptake and create a roadmap to scaling low-carbon alternatives.
Tesco plans to introduce the low-carbon alternatives to other produce areas, including wheat and barley, where emissions linked to conventional fertiliser account for more than 60%, as well as grasslands in beef, dairy and lamb supply chains. The first year of the roll-out is expected to produce up to 70,000 tonnes of fresh produce, growing to 200,000 tonnes in 2024.
“Delivering more affordable, sustainable food means finding innovative, new ways to grow basket staples like potatoes, salad vegetables and carrots. Fertilisers are a large source of emissions in farming, but high prices and uncertainty have made it hard for farmers to take advantage of low-carbon alternatives,” said Sarah Bradbury, Group Quality Director at Tesco.
“We hope that by working with our suppliers, our learnings from this roll-out of low carbon fertilisers can prove their potential to cut emissions and demonstrate what it would take to scale up production in the UK. It’s vital we keep costs manageable for farmers facing the most challenging market conditions in a generation and help our customers to eat in a way that’s good for planet and pocket.”
NAM Implications:
- Substitution of high-cost chemical fertilizer with organic waste seems a natural no-brainer…
- Watch this one go.
