Oakland International, a leading multi temperature supply chain specialist and certified B Corporation, has confirmed a new on site operational partnership between Oddbox and Mindful Chef, bringing three purpose led food businesses together to scale sustainably, reduce food waste and simplify how customers shop for food. The partnership will see Oddbox operate alongside Mindful Chef at Oakland International’s Redditch site, sharing infrastructure, expertise and low carbon ope

Marks & Spencer has launched a new range of vertically farmed salad leaves which use up to 96 per cent less water than traditionally grown crops, as retailers continue to explore new technologies aimed at improving sustainability, shelf life and food quality. Image courtesy of M&S The retailer has introduced three exclusive salad varieties into its food halls — Citrus Sorrel Baby Leaves, Spicy Baby Leaves and Baby Garlic Kale, all grown indoors using advanced robotics and...

South Africa has officially overtaken Spain to become the world’s largest citrus exporter by volume, after shipping a record 2.9 million tonnes of citrus during the 2025 season. The milestone marks a major moment for the South African citrus sector, which has continued to expand its global footprint through sustained investment in orchards, production techniques and export infrastructure. Industry figures said the achievement also reflects the sector’s strong compliance with

The UK horticultural industry is set to benefit from £1.9 million in grants to support a series of legacy projects across field vegetables, tree fruit, soft fruit, protected edibles, and ornamentals, following an agreement on how remaining AHDB horticulture levy reserves should be allocated. Over three years from April 2026 to March 2029, the residual funds will be distributed through grants to 22 grower associations to help address key challenges faced by growers and to str

Almost half of Belgium’s strawberry growers are using autonomous UV-C robots to combat pests and persistent fungi like powdery mildew, resulting in an 80% reduction in fungicide use, and marking a major shift towards sustainable, high-tech practices within the sector. Image: VLAM The innovation is rapidly becoming a core part of production infrastructure, with the autonomous UV-C (Ultraviolet-C) robots being rolled out on a large scale across Belgium’s strawberry sector. Fol

UK leek production is under growing pressure from climate volatility, rising input costs, and a steady reduction in available crop protection tools, prompting growers to place increasing emphasis on plant genetics and breeding innovation as a route to resilience. Image: Patrick Allpress | British Leeks For Cambridgeshire-based Allpress Farms, the long-term future of leek production will depend on how effectively farming systems, technology, and crop breeding evolve in step wi

Several major UK supermarkets are actively backing British-grown berries over imports this season, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, as growers face cost pressures. Retailers are strategically strengthening domestic produce sourcing by reinforcing their commitment to British growers and farmers through long-term partnerships that offer supply chain resilience. Added to that, this year’s early British berry crop is leading to less reliance on

Lidl GB is introducing a new partnership with food-sharing app Olio as it looks to scale up its surplus food redistribution across the UK and meet a 2030 food waste reduction target. Image: Lidl GB The “landmark collaboration” with Olio will operate initially across 20 Lidl stores in London and northern England from 15 May, and marks an expansion of Lidl's long-running food redistribution programme with Neighbourly, according to a press release from the discount retailer. If

More than one in six parents in the UK have put their children to bed hungry at least once a week and skipped meals over the past year because they could not access or afford enough food, according to new research commissioned by Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s. The growing scale of food insecurity across the country exposed by the report has prompted Sainsbury’s to launch a £30 million fundraising push for Comic Relief, which is aimed at delivering 60 million meals by the end o

Fresh uncertainty is hanging over the UK horticulture sector amid reports that the Government’s upcoming King’s Speech is unlikely to include long-awaited legislation to ban peat use. According to industry sources cited by HortWeek, the omission is linked to ongoing discussions surrounding a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, expected later this summer, which will need to address the complex issue of imported plants grown in peat-based media. The prospect of an

Autonomous harvesting could soon become a far more familiar sight across British soft fruit farms after Cambridge-based agritech company Fieldwork Robotics secured £3m in fresh investment and grant funding to accelerate commercial trials of its raspberry-picking robots. The funding package includes a £2.2m investment round led by Elbow Beach Capital, alongside additional grant backing, including support linked to Innovate UK programmes aimed at advancing on-farm adoption of n

One of Britain’s best-known berry producers is celebrating a major milestone, as Hall Hunter Partnership marks 60 years of growing fruit in the UK. The family-owned business, founded by Mark and Mary Hall in 1966, began life supplying salad crops and vegetables to London wholesale markets while also offering Pick Your Own experiences. Six decades later, the company has become one of the UK’s leading berry growers and is now recognised as the country’s largest blueberry produc

Hospitality businesses are facing mounting pressure from soaring energy costs, with industry leaders urging the government to step in with targeted support measures to protect the sector. Trade body UKHospitality has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlining a series of proposals designed to help pubs, restaurants, hotels and wider hospitality operators cope with rising bills linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions and wider inflationary pressures. The organisation warned

Scotland’s strawberry season is off to a positive start, with growers reporting favourable conditions and strong early development despite a slightly later start than last year. Soft fruit specialist Angus Soft Fruit officially began harvesting on 7 April at Barnsmuir Farm in St Andrews, with the crop currently running a few days to around a week behind the unusually early 2025 season. According to the company, this year’s timing is still broadly consistent with a more typica

British Tomato Fortnight is set to return from 1-14 June 2026 with a major push to position British-grown tomatoes as the ultimate healthy snack choice for consumers across the UK. This year’s campaign will focus heavily on the growing demand for convenient and nutritious snacking options, highlighting the flavour, versatility, health benefits and sustainability credentials of British tomatoes. Organisers are also aiming to tap into summer occasions ranging from lunchboxes an

Farm leaders have called on newly elected councillors and members of the Senedd to throw their support behind British agriculture, warning that the sector is facing mounting pressures from rising costs, global instability and ongoing regulatory challenges. The appeals come following local elections across England and the Senedd elections in Wales, with farming organisations urging political leaders at both local and national level to prioritise food security, rural investment

Britain’s potato sector is facing ongoing uncertainty as growers attempt to offload large surplus stocks ahead of the 2026/27 season, following what many are describing as a deeply challenging campaign. According to reports from Farmers Guardian, the 2025/26 potato season is ending under considerable pressure, with many growers still holding excess tonnage while market confidence remains fragile. Planting for the new season was largely completed by the end of April, although

A nationwide campaign designed to encourage children to get their hands dirty and discover the joys of gardening is set to return later this month, with the UK horticulture sector hoping it could help nurture the growers and gardeners of the future. National Children’s Gardening Week will run from 23 to 31 May, bringing families into garden centres across the country for a week of planting, exploration and outdoor activities. Organised by the Horticultural Trades Association,

The UK government is being urged to tackle “soaring domestic policy costs” after new polling shows four in five people (80%) fear the Middle East conflict will push up the cost of food, while bank data indicates agricultural businesses are experiencing “elevated financial stress”. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is calling on ministers to act on costs that are within government's control, including non-commodity energy charges, food reformulation rules, and packaging levi

Waitrose and Worldwide Fruit Ltd have launched a striking campaign to showcase their commitment to homegrown British produce with the creation of a bespoke JAZZ™ apple tractor and trailer sampling display. Aiming to put British apples in the spotlight like never before and highlight how JAZZ™ has famously extended the British apple season, the tractor debuted at Waitrose’s flagship store in Canary Wharf, London, in April. The eye-catching display and six-day sampling activity