Tesco Goes All In On Nature With Major New Biodiversity Partnerships

Tesco has announced two new collaborations as it ramps up efforts to restore nature across land and sea linked to food production. The partnerships — with Earthworm Foundation and Sea Ranger Service — mark the next phase of the retailer’s expanding Nature Programme.

Launched in 2023, the programme already supports five major projects ranging from woodland restoration in the Blackdown Hills and conservation initiatives with the RSPB, to river restoration through supplier partnerships and fruit-growing biodiversity work in Spain with international growers.

To date, the programme is working with 130 farms across its existing projects, supported by more than 30 leading produce and food suppliers, each operating bespoke action plans to restore soil health, boost pollinators, improve water quality and strengthen habitats for wildlife.

Under the new partnerships, the Earthworm Foundation will work with Tesco and chocolate supplier Baronie-Cémoi to encourage regenerative farming among cocoa growers in the Tonkpi region of Côte d’Ivoire. Meanwhile, Sea Ranger Service will lead efforts to restore seagrass habitats in the North-East Atlantic — a key sourcing area for wild-caught fish including cod, haddock and plaice.

Christine Heffernan, Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer at Tesco, said the new partnerships represent a further step in the company’s commitment to protecting and restoring nature across its supply chains. She added that the progress made in the first full year of the Nature Programme shows its growing impact, while acknowledging that there is still significant work to do to safeguard soils, water and biodiversity.

Gerome Tokpa of the Earthworm Foundation said the partnership shared a strong ambition to support farmer livelihoods while protecting local ecosystems in cocoa-producing regions. Wietse van der Werf, CEO of Sea Ranger Service, welcomed the retailer’s leadership in coastal-ecosystem restoration, adding that the project would not only regenerate nature but also create skills and job opportunities for young people.

As the Nature Programme continues to evolve, the latest partnerships signal a growing focus on global ecosystem restoration alongside UK-based farm projects, with the aim of building more resilient, biodiverse and sustainable supply chains from soil to sea.

Source: Grocery Trader