Tesco UK CEO calls for industry partnerships to scale low-carbon fertilisers for farming resilience

Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad urged retailers and innovators to collaborate on scaling low-carbon fertilisers for British farmers. Speaking at London Tech Week, he highlighted how domestic low-carbon fertilisers can reduce emissions, improve price stability, and strengthen UK food security amid global supply chain disruptions. Tesco's low-carbon concept farm in Lincolnshire, run with potato supplier Branston, achieved a 50% reduction in carbon emissions using low-carbon growing techniques and CO2 capture, with no loss in yield or quality. The resulting potatoes were sold in Tesco stores earlier this year. Prasad noted that promising technologies often struggle to move from trial to everyday farm use due to limited supply and funding barriers for farmers. Tesco is sharing findings from its trials and running the Agri-tech Challenge to identify innovations that can shield farmers from future supply shocks. The push aims to make low-carbon fertilisers more available, price-transparent, and reliable for long-term farm planning.