News on Sustainability from United Kingdom

Open Farm Sunday 2025 saw a 20% rise in host farms, welcoming 200,000 visitors. The event strengthened public connections to farming, highlighted sustainability, and inspired youth interest in agriculture. Next year’s event is on 7th June 2026.

Potatoes in Practice, the UK’s biggest field potato event, is on 7 August at Balruddery Farm. Hosted by James Hutton Institute, it brings growers, researchers, and industry leaders together to share innovations and advance the potato sector.

GB Potatoes has joined HCP to secure vital crop protection authorisations for the UK seed potato sector, using AHDB levy funds. A new technical group will prioritise needs, ensuring sustainable, high-quality seed and ware potato production.

Join the James Hutton Institute's webinar on May 30, International Day of Potato, to explore UK potato production challenges and innovations in breeding, sustainability, AI tools, and pest control. Hosted by NPIC and Professor Ingo Hein.

KMC has partnered with UK-based Daymer Ingredients to expand its potato-based solutions in the UK. The collaboration focuses on clean label starches and aims to support sustainable, plant-based innovations for food manufacturers.

Greenvale’s Golden Kings launched ‘Move Over Maris’ with Great British Chefs to promote climate-friendly, high-yielding potatoes needing less irrigation and pest control, urging consumers to switch varieties.

The ambitious net-zero goals of leading potato supplier Branston have been recognised by a pioneering organisation that supports businesses around the world to tackle the climate crisis.

Fibe, a London-based material science company, has developed the world’s first textile fibre from potato harvest waste (stems and leaves), garnering the attention of investors and industry experts alike.

This year’s Hutchinsons Potato Demonstration Day, held at Worth Farms, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, focussed on potential solutions to address some of the key challenges faced by UK potato growers.

PepsiCo has announced a GBP 13 million (USD 16.9 million) investment in its Coventry factory, the home of Doritos.

Pringles make a major change to its tube packaging - and says it will prevent crisps. Most Britons will be familiar with the famous Pringles tube - but the crisp brand is now making a huge change to its packaging.

PepsiCo is trialling new multipack packaging for their Snack A Jacks range. Packs on shelves in Tesco stores across the United Kingdom will now use 86% less plastic on their outer packaging when compared with the previous multipack design.

In the United Kingdom, PepsiCo has scaled the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) – used cooking oil - across their supply chain in a move set to save 2,650 tonnes in GHG emissions annually.

OF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers) has welcomed Defra’s development of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 (SFI) and the flexibility the expanded remit offers to organic farmers.

Bredel hose pumps are contributing to a sustainable solution for steam potato peeling provided by TOMRA Food which reduces water usage, water treatment and food waste.

CNH Industrial and ONE SMART SPRAY, a joint venture between Bosch and BASF, have signed a collaboration agreement to integrate the latter’s advanced spraying system within CNH Industrial’s agricultural brand product portfolios.

From melting glaciers and flooding to drought, rising global temperature is affecting agriculture in many ways. Potato production is also taking a hit.

Leading UK potato supplier Greenvale AP Ltd has partnered with Trinity AgTech to roll out Trinity’s natural capital navigator, Sandy, to farms across the country, supporting them in credibly and confidently analysing and reaching their environmental targets.