Inviting customers to take a fresh look at the supermarket, Asda has overhauled its fruit and vegetable aisles; ushering in the return of dedicated greengrocers and a revitalised produce section with clearer provenance information, new lines, lower prices, and free fruit for children. Image: Asda The store refresh forms part of the retailer’s plans to encourage customers to choose Asda over other supermarkets by adding more value, greater choice, and tangible improvements to

The UK government has announced plans to treble the amount of surplus food redistributed across the country as part of a wider strategy to tackle food waste and support families struggling with rising living costs. The move is expected to significantly increase the volume of edible food redirected away from waste streams and into charities, community organisations and food redistribution networks. The announcement comes as fresh concern grows over food insecurity across the U

Lower-income families living in rural Britain are increasingly struggling to access affordable, healthy food, with new research warning that large parts of the countryside are becoming “food deserts”. The study, led by the University of Sheffield, found that households earning under £40,000 a year in rural areas face significantly greater barriers to buying fresh fruit and vegetables than families on similar incomes living in deprived urban communities. Researchers discovered

Egypt has unveiled an ambitious £12 billion agricultural development project aimed at transforming vast areas of desert into productive farmland as the country intensifies efforts to strengthen food security and reduce reliance on imports. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi officially launched the New Delta agriculture project during the 2026 wheat harvest on newly cultivated land west of the Nile Delta. The initiative is being described by Egyptian officials as the country’s lar

UK retailers have called on the Government to take urgent action to protect consumers from rising costs following the latest King’s Speech, warning that businesses and households are facing increasing financial pressure. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said reducing the “costs of doing business” would be essential if ministers want to improve living standards and prevent further price increases across food and essential goods. Responding to the speech, BRC chief executive

A new study led by Durham University has suggested that children’s relationship with vegetables may begin before they are even born, with researchers finding that flavour memories formed in the womb can last into early childhood. The research discovered that three-year-old children reacted more positively to the smell of vegetables they had been repeatedly exposed to during late pregnancy, potentially opening the door to new approaches for encouraging healthier eating habits

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