Morrisons employs tree advisors to help UK farms meet planting targets

Morrisons has employed a team of “tree advisors” to give advice to farmers on planting and looking after trees on its farms, in a bid to encourage the best environmental outcomes without affecting business.

The advisors will work with Morrisons’ network of 3,000 farmers to plant the right tree species in the right place, to gain government and grant funding to cover costs, and to bring in additional income from woodland projects.

The trees on farms would improve sustainability, soil health and farm productivity alongside other non-environmental benefits for farmers, it said.

In 2019, the government launched the Woodland Carbon Guarantee to boost tree-planting rates and create new woodland in return for payment. The scheme, which offered £50m to land managers who planted trees, has been welcomed by farmers.

The advisors will offer advice to farmers on a case-by-case basis and will identify which trees are best in which place, how tree planting can complement farming business, how to unlock funding and how to secure income from their projects.

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“Many farmers, while recognising the value of trees in their landscape, are worried that tree planting initiatives will mean that valuable land is taken from food production – even when funded by the government,” said Sophie Throup, head of agriculture at Morrisons.

“We want to take this worry away and help farmers identify what trees work for them on their farm, in the right places and for the right reasons.”

The initiative is in partnership with Natural England and the Forestry Commission, and is part of Morrisons’ plan to become directly supplied by British farms that are net zero by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2040. Farmers at Morrisons’ 50 net zero blueprint farms will be the first to be offered access to the scheme before it is rolled out more widely in the coming months.

It follows the launch of Morrisons’ Sustainable Beef & Lamb Scheme last month, which is designed to support and incentivise its livestock farmers to reach net zero by 2030.