Energy and Environment

The ambitious net-zero goals of leading potato supplier Branston have been recognised by a pioneering organisation that supports businesses around the world to tackle the climate crisis.

Fibe, a London-based material science company, has developed the world’s first textile fibre from potato harvest waste (stems and leaves), garnering the attention of investors and industry experts alike.

This year’s Hutchinsons Potato Demonstration Day, held at Worth Farms, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, focussed on potential solutions to address some of the key challenges faced by UK potato growers.

PepsiCo has announced a GBP 13 million (USD 16.9 million) investment in its Coventry factory, the home of Doritos.

In a year marked by escalating climate emergencies and global calls for sustainable solutions, Regenagri, a global leader in regenerative agriculture, has announced impressive performance in its Impact Report has been launched.

One of the UK's top potato suppliers is looking for alternatives to the popular Maris Piper due to rising costs and unreliable crops during extreme weather.

Pringles make a major change to its tube packaging - and says it will prevent crisps. Most Britons will be familiar with the famous Pringles tube - but the crisp brand is now making a huge change to its packaging.

Potato and cereal crops are likely to have been heavily damaged by the recent devastating floods across the United Kingdom, farmers have warned.

PepsiCo is trialling new multipack packaging for their Snack A Jacks range. Packs on shelves in Tesco stores across the United Kingdom will now use 86% less plastic on their outer packaging when compared with the previous multipack design.

B-hive Innovations, a cutting-edge, agri-tech research and development business is embarking on a new collaborative programme that aims to reduce the risk of potato bruising and develop technologies that could reduce supermarket waste.

In the United Kingdom, PepsiCo has scaled the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) – used cooking oil - across their supply chain in a move set to save 2,650 tonnes in GHG emissions annually.

OF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers) has welcomed Defra’s development of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 (SFI) and the flexibility the expanded remit offers to organic farmers.

Bredel hose pumps are contributing to a sustainable solution for steam potato peeling provided by TOMRA Food which reduces water usage, water treatment and food waste.

Extreme weather incidents are serving to rock Europe’s potato industry to its very foundations. Last year was actually the second warmest year on record in Europe. The drought conditions resulted in a dramatic downturn in overall potato output.

CNH Industrial and ONE SMART SPRAY, a joint venture between Bosch and BASF, have signed a collaboration agreement to integrate the latter’s advanced spraying system within CNH Industrial’s agricultural brand product portfolios.

Extreme weather events pose a significant challenge to potato cultivation. Heat and drought stress reduces productivity, causes physiological defects in tubers, and damages crops.

Defra and UKRI, as part of the Farming Innovation Programme, recently announced funding for 'Potato-LITE' – a multimillion pound project over four years

From melting glaciers and flooding to drought, rising global temperature is affecting agriculture in many ways. Potato production is also taking a hit.