Tesco revealed this week that it had collaborated with five of its biggest field vegetable suppliers to develop the commercial roll-out of low-carbon fertilizer. The retailer has highlighted eight low-carbon fertilizer choices for the 2023 growing season, which will be used on 1,300 hectares. Tesco claims that increasing this to 4,000 hectares by 2024 will result in a 20% reduction in emissions after just one year.
60% of the fertilizer required by the UK is currently imported, but due to chemical plant closures and shortages brought on by the conflict in Ukraine, prices have increased by as much as 140% in the past year. Tesco has confirmed that six of the eight fertilizer manufacturers will produce their goods in the UK using waste products like food scraps, chicken manure, fire extinguisher waste, and algae.
Lowering Agricultural Emissions
In other product categories, Tesco will substitute less carbon-intensive materials. Trial runs have been planned for crops like beef, dairy, and lamb grasslands, as well as grains like wheat and barley, where the use of fertilizers is responsible for more than 60% of emissions. Up to 70,000 metric tons of fresh produce may be produced during the roll-out's first year, and by 2024, that number will have increased to 200,000 metric tons.
Director of Group Quality at Tesco, Sarah Bradbury, stated: "Growing staples like potatoes, salad greens, and carrots in novel, new ways means delivering more affordable, sustainable food." Fertilizers are a significant contributor to agricultural emissions, but farmers have found it challenging to use low-carbon substitutes due to high costs and unpredictability.
Further continuing, she said, "We anticipate that by collaborating with our suppliers, the lessons we've learned from this rollout of low-carbon fertilizers will show both their potential to reduce emissions and the requirements for scaling up production in the UK." "It's crucial that we keep costs in check for farmers who are dealing with the most difficult market conditions in a generation and assist our customers in making environmentally and fiscally responsible food choices.”
Tesco has committed to cutting supplier emissions by 35% and achieving net-zero operational emissions by the year 2035. Tesco now wants to implement a net-zero supply chain by 2050.
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