In an innovative move towards sustainability, M&S is trialling drone and robotic technology to reduce carbon emissions in parsnip production.
- This pioneering agricultural method involves an ‘autonomous field,’ a first for UK retailers, improving both crop yield and quality.
- The project, in partnership with Huntapac, employs robots for various farming tasks and drones for crop monitoring.
- Incorporating green fertilisers and tech that uses less diesel than traditional tractors, this approach helps maintain soil carbon.
- The initial autonomously farmed produce will become available in M&S stores from November, funded by the company’s Plan A sustainability initiative.
M&S, in a remarkable step towards sustainable agriculture, is utilising drone and robotic technology for parsnip production to lower carbon emissions. The retailer is the first in the UK to experiment with an ‘autonomous field’ system aimed at enhancing crop quality and quantity. This initiative also seeks to significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with traditional farming practices.
The project, conducted in Yorkshire in collaboration with root vegetable supplier Huntapac, began with the planting of parsnips in March. The use of two types of drones and two robots for bed forming, weeding, and planting is central to this endeavour. Drones play a crucial role in maintaining and monitoring crop health, providing a modern solution to agricultural challenges.
Employing this new technology, M&S is able to keep carbon locked into the soil. Green fertilisers and advanced equipment that consumes markedly less diesel than conventional tractors are integral to this strategy. These innovations do not only aim at carbon reduction but also promise to enhance the quality and output of the crops.
The first batch of parsnips grown using this autonomous method is expected to reach M&S store shelves by November. This marks a significant milestone as it represents the inaugural M&S Food venture financed through its Plan A accelerator fund. Introduced earlier this year, the fund aims to rapidly implement innovative projects towards achieving net zero.
According to Andrew Clappen, M&S Food’s Technical Director, “Agriculture is one of our biggest contributors to emissions, so finding new lower impact farming methods is crucial.” The project supports the company’s net zero roadmap and highlights the potential for creating skilled jobs and attracting new talent to the sector.
As M&S ventures into autonomous farming, it sets a precedent for sustainable agricultural practices in the retail industry.
