Key facts
- Pladis has launched a new 'Back to Farm' program to support regenerative agriculture among its wheat growers.
- The initiative offers financial support and agronomic expertise to farmers.
- Key goals include improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and increasing farm resilience.
- The program aims to secure long-term crop yields and safeguard supplies for Pladis's brands, including McVitie's, Turtles, and Godiva.
- In its first year in the UK, the expanded program will cover over 4,000 hectares and produce 36,000 tonnes of grain.
Pladis, the maker of brands such as McVitie's, Turtles, and Godiva, has launched a new sustainability initiative called the 'Back to Farm' program. This program is designed to support wheat farmers in their transition to regenerative agriculture practices. By providing financial aid and agronomic expertise, Pladis aims to improve soil health, enhance biodiversity, and build greater resilience within its agricultural supply chains.
The initiative is particularly focused on wheat, a critical raw material for the company, with the goal of safeguarding long-term crop yields and securing future supplies amidst intensifying climate change concerns. Pladis is collaborating with Frontier Agriculture, which will provide technical support to growers in the UK.
In its initial year, the expanded UK program is set to cover over 4,000 hectares of land, producing an estimated 36,000 tonnes of grain. This volume is equivalent to the entire UK production of McVitie's Original Digestives, with a long-term objective to encompass enough wheat for the full McVitie's product range.
This move aligns with a broader trend among major food manufacturers investing in regenerative agriculture to ensure supply chain sustainability and resilience. Companies like Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Mars have implemented similar programs to address soil degradation, volatile weather, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.