Farming for Nature: Waitrose and Land App's Commitment to Sustainable Agriculture

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.

Project Overview

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.

Why This Project Matters

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:

  • Help farmers build more resilient ecosystems on their land.
  • Protect and enhance the quality of soil and water.
  • Promote biodiversity through nature-friendly practices.
  • Provide Waitrose customers with the assurance that their purchases support sustainable farming in the UK.

This project is not only vital for the health of individual farms but also strengthens the entire British food system.

Who is Land App?

land app

 

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.

How Land App Supports Waitrose’s Goals

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:

  • Baseline Habitat Maps and Future Land Management Plans: Each farm will receive a tailored map of current habitats alongside a long-term Land Management Plan, guiding the transition to regenerative practices.
  • Dynamic Reporting: A cloud-based data feed will provide Waitrose with continuous updates on ecological metrics, making it easy to benchmark and monitor improvements.

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.

Key Project Goals

Through Farming for Nature, Waitrose aims to:

  • Support Farmers on a Regenerative Journey: Help each supplier farm adopt practices that protect the land, enrich biodiversity, and contribute to a climate-resilient food system.
  • Measure and Report on Environmental Impact: Using data from Land App, Waitrose can dynamically report on biodiversity, water quality, and other sustainability metrics, ensuring accountability and transparency.
  • Build a Sustainable Supply Chain: The project strengthens Waitrose's supply chain resilience, reducing environmental risks and enhancing food security for future generations.

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.

Learn More

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.