We want to accelerate healthy farming practices that are in line with nature and support climate action.
Targets
- At least 50% of our whole produce and grains to be certified or covered by a robust environmental scheme (such as LEAF Marque) by 2030.
- At least 50% of Ocado Own Range fresh food sourced from areas with sustainable water management by 2030.
Our Farm to Fork partnership
We launched our groundbreaking Farm to Fork partnership with the Soil Association in May 2024 to help transform the way we eat, farm and care for our natural world by supporting farmers adopting agroecological practices, ensuring higher quality and more sustainable produce for our customers.
Agroecological farming (incorporating regenerative practices like cover cropping and agroforestry) boosts farm resilience to changing weather whilst protecting and improving soil health, increasing biodiversity and moving towards net zero. Transitioning can be difficult and every farms – and farmers – at different stage of their journey.
The Soil Association aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable farming practices as part of this funding partnership by:
- Establishing Demo Farms to share different stages of adoption, bringing farmers together for peer-to-peer learning.
- Providing learning opportunities for all farmers—including farmers of the future—via online talks, events and field walks, amplifying our impact.
- Working with Farm Ambassadors to extend the reach of agroecological practice adoption.
The partnership has collaborated with leading organisations, including agricultural colleges and universities, to connect more farmers and expand our influence to spur agroecology at scale.
Find out more about our impact here.
Our approach
Nature-friendly farming
We will work with our suppliers and their farmers to implement sustainable farming practices across our supply chains in partnership with the Soil Association.
We are also strengthening our environmental standards for growers with the adoption of the global LEAF Marque Standard (across our entire produce supply chain Own Range). LEAF’s environmental assurance scheme helps customers identify food that has been grown sustainably and that enriches the environment and engages local communities. We plan for all growers to be certified by 2030.
We are also aligning with the ‘Sourcing Better’ Framework, launched by UK NGO Eating Better, which aims to improve agricultural environmental standards for meat, dairy and egg production.
Nature-friendly farming
Decarbonising farming
Over half of our carbon emissions come from agriculture, so decarbonising our agriculture supply chain will be critical to achieving our net-zero goal.
We have partnered with the British Retail Consortium Mondra Coalition, which aims to provide a coordinated approach to decarbonising food supply chains at scale through rigorous product footprinting and supplier data collaboration.
Decarbonising farming
Nature-friendly farming
Water is critical to our business – our supply chains and operations depend on a healthy water supply. We are funders and supporters of the Retail Leadership Commitment and Water Roadmap, which brings supply chains together and tackles water issues at catchment levels via eight collective action projects around the world. These projects include funding on-the-ground catchment coordinators to advise, increase engagement and oversee activities in the area. The projects deliver in-country support while also prioritising our food supply chains. In the last year, Ocado Retail supported Collective Action Projects in Wye and Usk-UK, Spain and South Africa.
Case study: southern Spain
Southern Spain is one of the most at-risk sourcing regions for the UK food supply in terms of water scarcity and quality, with agriculture being a key driver. The project brings together businesses, growers and other relevant stakeholders to take action at the catchment and river basin level.
This region, and particularly the land within Doñana National Park, is a key growing area for strawberries and other fruit. Outside of the UK growing season, up to 50% of the UK’s strawberry imports (by value) come from this region.
The programme involves a range of interventions including diagnosing action needed at a macro and local level (e.g. targeted nature-based solutions, water quality improvements), farmer engagement and knowledge sharing, strengthening certification standards and joint advocacy to improve water governance.
Case study: Rivers Wye & Usk, UK
Flowing through busy food-producing areas, these rivers have become vulnerable to ecological decline. They’re facing multiple threats from more frequent flooding, droughts, sediment build-up, acidification, algal blooms and invasive species. Collectively, the project has supported:
- 230 hectares of maize undersown to cut winter soil disturbances and nutrient runoff (that’s around 320 football pitches) after crops have been harvested.
- Installation of water management systems (wetlands) on two farms to filter nutrient runoff from fields preventing pollution. One has been installed on a site with high phosphorus levels, which leads to water pollution, and the other on a poultry farm to prevent manure from harming aquatic life.
- Supported farm visits in the area to offer advice and discuss practical solutions.
Sustainable water management
Headline sponsor of the Best of Organic Market (BOOM) Awards – the UK’s only awards that recognise and celebrate the organic industry.
100% UK whole produce (fresh and frozen) certified to LEAF Marque.
