Welcome to Farming for Nature, a ground-breaking initiative by Waitrose, in collaboration with Land App, aimed at transforming British agriculture toward a sustainable and resilient future. This program reflects Waitrose's commitment to supporting its suppliers on a regenerative farming journey to enhance biodiversity, protect soil and water health, and reduce environmental risks.
The Farming for Nature initiative, part of the John Lewis Partnership’s dedication to environmental stewardship, seeks to help all 2,500 Waitrose supplier farms adopt or deepen regenerative farming practices over the next two years. Working closely with Land App and their innovative digital mapping platform, each farm will create a Baseline Habitat Assessment—a comprehensive map of current habitats—and a Land Management Plan outlining future improvements for nature-positive farming.
These geospatial plans will enable farmers to communicate the beneficial impacts and quality of their management to Waitrose, supporting the Farming For Nature programme with key metrics across its supply chain, such as habitat extent, connectivity, water quality improvements, and regenerative farming practices. This approach not only supports farmers and increases their resilience, but also advances Waitrose's goal of achieving net-zero emissions across UK farms by 2035 and across its entire supply chain by 2050.
Waitrose and Land App’s collaboration addresses pressing challenges in modern agriculture: the need for sustainable food production and resilience against climate change. With increased soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and water management issues affecting farms nationwide, the Farming for Nature initiative will:
This project is not only vital for the health of individual farms but also strengthens the entire British food system.
Land App is a leading digital mapping platform that empowers farmers and land managers to unlock their land’s full potential by creating precise and actionable land management plans.
With over 30,000 users, including conservation advisors and agricultural experts, Land App provides a reliable, easy-to-use platform that visualises key data for sustainable and resilient decision-making. Through this partnership, Land App will work with “Accredited Professionals” - advisors from FWAG, Wildlife Trusts, ProCam, the National Trust, and other advisory firms - to help farmers implement effective regenerative practices.
Through Land App’s new Nature, Risk and Resilience system, the platform enables Waitrose and its supplier farms to track over 68 metrics critical to environmental health and regenerative agriculture. Key benefits include:
Access to Expert Guidance: Farmers will work with Accredited Professionals through Land App to develop customised, resilient Land Management Plans, equipping them with expert support and resources for successful implementation.
Through Farming for Nature, Waitrose aims to:
This initiative is designed to create a robust foundation for sustainable agriculture, with plans set to support Waitrose’s network of farms for the next 2 to 30 years.
Are you a farmer or stakeholder involved in the project or wishing to learn more?
Visit Land App’s website to discover how digital mapping and land management can benefit your land and support a nature-positive future.