Waitrose Issues ‘Vital Rally Cry’ For Food System Transformation

Waitrose is calling for transformation across the food system with the launch of a two-part YouTube series that explores regenerative agriculture and the retailer’s work with farmers to build a more resilient, nature-friendly food supply.

Image: Waitrose

Created in collaboration with National Geographic CreativeWorks, the series was filmed at Waitrose’s own farm, Leckford Estate, in Hampshire and aims to raise awareness of the challenges facing global agriculture as well as the potential solutions.

Waitrose said in a press release that the new series lays bare the “very real, current challenges” facing the global food system, while providing “deep insights” into the “pioneering” ways in which Waitrose is actively working to transform the future of agriculture.

At the heart of the storytelling project is Waitrose’s “groundbreaking” ‘Farming for Nature’ programme, through which the retailer said it is supporting around 2,000 British farmers as they move towards more nature-friendly farming practices.

Andrew Hoad, director of the Leckford Estate, said the retailer was seeking to demonstrate that regenerative agriculture is already being put into practice rather than simply discussed as a future ambition.

“At Leckford, we aren't just talking about the future of farming; we are living it every day,” he said. “This series is a vital rally cry to show why transforming our food system matters to everyone.”

The “powerful” series is designed to bring the reality of regenerative farming to a wider audience as Waitrose  

A 2030 Regenerative Target

Towards the end of last year, Waitrose set a 2030 target for all of its own-brand UK meat, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables and horticultural products to be sourced from farms that use regenerative practices.

The ambition puts regenerative agriculture at the centre of the retailer’s future sourcing strategy, with the Leckford Estate positioned as a working example of the approach.

Already, the estate supplies a range of Leckford-branded products which are grown and produced directly on the farm using regenerative techniques. 

According to Waitrose, the Farming For Nature programme is intended to help extend those principles across its wider British agricultural supply base.

Ultimately, the objective was to give customers confidence that Waitrose’s own-brand British produce is being grown in ways that seek to improve the natural environment.

Taking Regenerative Farming To A Wider Audience

The National Geographic partnership reflects an effort to take the regenerative agriculture conversation beyond the farming and food industries and into the mainstream.

The two-part series examines the people, places, and innovations behind Waitrose’s approach, while highlighting the wider pressures facing the food system.

National Geographic CreativeWorks said the future of food is “one of the defining stories of our time”, with the series intended to show both why change is necessary and how it is already taking place. 

The two-part series became available globally on National Geographic and Waitrose’s YouTube channel from 19 August.