The end of last year witnessed Tesco take a bold new step on its pathway towards net zero with plans to step up its commitment to tackling water pollution through a new programme of work to aid the shift to a nature positive food system.
Tesco’s Nature Programme will focus its efforts on five key areas: protecting nature in key sourcing landscapes in the UK and overseas; scaling industry innovation to support biodiversity; implementing a nature plan across its own estate; lead research into key challenges facing nature and the food system; and encouraging cross sector engagement.
The Programme will build on the work of the Tesco WWF Partnership which came to an end in November 2023. However, Tesco will continue to work alongside WWF and other retailers as part of WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature Group as well as developing its own initiatives with its suppliers and farmers.
Tesco will continue to support vital water stewardship work in key UK and international sourcing areas with its local partners such as the Norfolk River Trust and the Wye and Usk Foundation.
The supermarket giant has also committed to providing ‘significant multi-year support’ to help WRAP’s Courtauld 2030 Water Roadmap, which aims to ensure 50% of the UK’s fresh food and drink is sourced from areas with sustainable water management by 2030.
The Nature Programme will continue to drive Tesco’s efforts to scale up cutting edge innovations in its supply chains to help reduce emissions and protect nature, including promoting biodiversity monitoring technologies, as well as supporting the use of low carbon fertilisers by its farmers and growers.
“The UK continues to be impacted by significant nature and biodiversity decline. We know the UK food system has a significant role to play, so its clear transformational change is needed to how we grow, producer, and consumer our food,” said Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s chief commercial officer.
“As the UK agriculture’s leading customer, we work with thousands of knowledgeable and committed suppliers, growers, and producers who are passionate about protecting nature on their farms. We want to harness that passion to create a food system that will protect biodiversity and secure our own supply of affordable, healthy, and sustainable food.
“Our Nature Programme will provide our supply base with innovative and practical ways to protect and restore nature, including stepping up our support for vital on-the-ground action in water catchments across the UK.”
As well as encouraging the protection of biodiversity in its supply chains, Tesco has committed to embedding a strategy for protecting nature across its own estate, including its stores and distribution centres.
Catherine David, director of behaviour change and business programmes at WRAP, said: “Awareness of water risk in the food and drink supply chain continues to rise, and there has been some good progress under the Courtauld Water Roadmap since it launched two years ago. But there’s an urgent need to scale up efforts to address the negative impacts of producing food in areas that are already suffering water stress.
“Tesco’s continued support and leadership is extremely welcome, and its move to motivate other businesses in its supply chain is a crucial step. Only through collaboration can we successfully tackle the complex risk posed to our rivers.
“We urgently need more businesses to sign up to the Water Roadmap, understand their exposure to water risk, and take action together to protect our precious water resources and the communities and ecosystems they support.”
