The UK berry sector has published the latest report showcasing its investment in sustainable farming.
British Berry Growers has published its Sustainability Report 2025, which was compiled by Collison & Associates and was based on a comprehensive survey covering over half of the UK’s total berry production.
It has shown how British berry farms are delivering world-leading sustainability gains across 10 key themes including water stewardship, carbon reduction, biodiversity, waste minimisation and digital innovation.
“Ethical and sustainable farming practices are at the heart of British berry production. This report shows our growers are innovating and investing at every stage to deliver healthy berries responsibly and sustainably,” said Dr Louise Sutherland, director of research and development for British Berry Growers.
It found that 100% of growers monitor water quality and have water efficiency plans with 65% reducing their overall water use in the past three years by an average of 16%.
Of the 61% of growers with on-farm reservoirs or rainwater stores, some are meeting 100% of their needs from captured rainwater.
The vast majority are also recording data to calculate carbon footprints (96%) and 70% have already implemented reduction actions with 61% planning further cuts.
All growers are supporting biodiversity through means such as planting wildlife strips (96%) and creating wetlands or ponds for wildlife (61%).
Plastic is also being reduced in the production and packaging processes.
Most growers (91%) have also adopted digital systems such as AI-driven monitoring, decision-support tools and automation.
“British berries are among the most sustainable and nutritious fruits we can eat,” added Nick Marston, executive chair of British Berry Growers. “As the UK tackles climate change and poor nutrition, supporting homegrown berry production has never been more important.”
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