As custodians of more than 70% of land in the UK, famers have a vital role to play in helping nature recover from past losses. Many of the M&S UK produce growers already demonstrate great practice in protecting wildlife on their land and beyond.
From 2020-2024, through the specifically developed M&S Farming with Nature programme, we supported the M&S growers to do even more to benefit wildlife by helping them create and improve space for nature on their farms.
All of the farms achieved the LEAF marque standard, the farm assurance system, showing that food has been grown sustainably with care for the environment, but by working with their local Wildlife Trust farm or FWAG expert farm advisor, the growers were able to achieve even more for wildlife; for example - considering habitat connectivity within the farm and surrounding landscape enabling species to move and access resources such as food, water and shelter.
As part of the M&S Farming with Nature programme Wildlife Trust farm advisors from Herefordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex provided advice to growers on land management. They also ran group grower events to help growers connect with each other and share best practice.
Wildlife Trust advisors visited a number of selected farms across the UK undertaking surveys to establish a baseline of habitats present for wildlife.