Morrisons has teamed up with Downforce Technologies to assess soil carbon and biodiversity trends on five of its supplier farms.
Data on how much carbon is stored within soil (soil organic carbon) will be gathered from sites in Northamptonshire, Cumbria, Scotland and Yorkshire.
While Morrisons technical and sustainability director Sophie Throup said reaching net zero is an “ambitious goal”, she pointed out that “working alongside our farmers and experts like Downforce Technologies” could help the supermarket on that journey.
Increasing the level of carbon stored in soil at scale could help towards this journey because it contributes to nutrient retention and turnover and helps get rid of pollutants.
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Gathering the data will equip the supermarket chain with the insights needed to optimise sustainable farming to achieve its net zero by 2030 target, by pinpointing soil health and carbon sequestration.
Since each farm is unique in terms of land use (including arable land and livestock), local weather patterns and soil types, these insights will be pivotal to identifying and optimising sustainable farming practices that work for each site.
Elsewhere, Morrisons is part of a whole-town trial of a digital deposit return scheme taking place in Brecon, Wales.
Supermarkets running the trial, which is being supported by major suppliers including Nestlé and Danone, expect to see around 250,000 product returns during a three-month period.
