First Low-Carbon Potatoes Hit Tesco Shelves Via Net-Zero Partnership With Branston
- Feb 26
- 3 min read
Tesco and Branston have begun selling lower-carbon British potatoes grown on the retailer’s Lincolnshire low‑carbon concept farm, as part of a wider net-zero initiative in the potato supply chain.
The first commercial crop of the highly sustainable Georgina variety landed in Tesco stores this week, offering 50% lower carbon emissions yet the same taste and texture expected by shoppers.
The potatoes have been produced at Tesco’s low‑carbon concept arable farm near Boston, Lincolnshire, using a combination of low-carbon methods and growing techniques to reduce their environmental impact.
The approach includes using circular economy fertilisers like CCm, which locks in CO2 as part of the process; minimum cultivations that do not impact yield or quality; and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to fuel machinery, instead of conventional diesel, offering a 90% carbon footprint saving.
As a result, some 500 tonnes or 260,000 (2kg) bags will marketed in Tesco Finest British All-Rounder and Baking Potato packs, as mentioned by Tesco UK Chief Executive Ashwin Prasad in his speech at the NFU Conference this week.
Working Towards UK Sustainability Goals
Describing the crop as a milestone, Andy Blair, Branston’s field technical manager overseeing the operation at the concept farm, said the project findings will meet the goal of supporting the wider industry in moving towards national sustainability targets.
“The ambition of the low carbon concept farm is not only to see how close we can get to a net zero potato, but to understand the interactions between crops as you move from one to the next,” Blair pointed out.
“We’ve got several crops in rotation, so now we’ve made significant progress with the potatoes, we’re looking at the carbon impact, soil health and biological impact of the process.”
Next the team will look at future crops of Georgina potatoes as well as other varieties, while focusing on cover crops that support soil structure and nutrition retention.
Other investments include applying R-Leaf fertiliser and trialling a biomethane tractor.
In this way, Tesco’s farm will serve as a test bed to roll out practices more widely with the aim of transferring all learning to other farms and growers across the country.
“We’ve made huge progress but to get to net zero we’re eager to work with others to see what technology and innovations can be used to take us even further,” Blair explained.
Potatoes, Broccoli, Wheat
Tesco’s low‑carbon concept arable farm successfully grew potatoes, broccoli, and wheat last year in partnership with suppliers Branston (potatoes), TH Clements (brassicas), and Heygates (wheat).
In September some 50 tonnes of broccoli and purple sprouting broccoli hit the shelves, grown by TH Clements using a variety of low-carbon techniques, including cover cropping, which locks nutrients into the soil and improves drainage.
During the second year of the project, Tesco said it plans to add peas and leeks into the rotation, working with its supplier Greenyard Frozen.
Natalie Smith, Head of Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries noted that one of the aims of the farm is to test and learn from a variety of low-carbon approaches, which, in turn, can de-risk the process for other farms across Tesco’s supply chain and further afield.
“Increasing funding for innovation in UK agriculture is one of the key recommendations in our Greenprint for UK Farming report, and it’s vital farmers have the ability to invest in new technology and approaches, if we’re to tackle the challenges caused by climate change and nature loss,” Smith commented.
Tesco has set up two low-carbon farms in response to recommendations its Greenprint for UK Farming report, which was informed by the views of farmers, and published at the start of 2025.
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