TESCO and Forestry England have today (October 18) launched a new partnership which will see the retailer contribute towards restoring nature across the landscape in Neroche, Somerset.

The partnership will aim to increase the diversity and abundance of wildlife across the area, which is made up of a mixture of woodland, pasture and heathland.

Tesco will support Forestry England to transform the landscape, helping it to become a sanctuary for wildlife to thrive and expand.

Neroche and the wider Blackdown Hills region plays host to a number of Tesco’s beef, dairy and lamb farmers.

It is hoped the partnership will provide valuable insight into how large-scale nature restoration can aid sustainable food production.

The partnership is the first to be announced as part of Tesco’s Nature Programme, a series of initiatives and partnerships which will help to protect and restore nature in Tesco’s supply chains.

The first year of the project in Somerset will focus on collecting data on the range of species in the area through the collection of environmental DNA samples of soil and water, ecology surveys and gathering bioacoustics data using the latest AI listening technology.

The partnership will also trial fence-free cattle grazing to help improve the condition of the landscape.

Both organisations hope to broaden the scope of the work into the wider Blackdown Hills and Somerset landscapes by collaborating with neighbouring landowners, including Tesco’s farmers and suppliers, encouraging more nature-friendly farming practices and interventions, such as planting hedgerows and wildflowers.

The retailer will take learnings from the initiative and use them as a model for on-farm interventions across the UK.

Commenting on the partnership, Ashwin Prasad, Tesco’s chief commercial officer said: “The UK food industry relies on healthy soils, clean water supplies, and abundant biodiversity, so it’s crucial we play our part in protecting and restoring nature in our supply chains.

“We’ve been working with our farmers and suppliers for some time on protecting and restoring nature. As part of this work, they’ve told us they want more help implementing measures that will help tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. Through our Nature Programme we and our partners will be trialling innovative, nature-based solutions, as well as sharing practical advice and expertise which can be rolled out to farmers and producers across our supply base.

“Forestry England bring a huge amount of expertise in this field, so we’re really excited to be partnering with them in Somerset to restore ancient woodland and aid sustainable food production.”

Mike Seddon, Forestry England chief executive, said: “Neroche is one of four wild areas within the nation’s forests where we are taking a bold approach to restoring fully functioning ecosystems. Over time, we’ll allow natural processes to have more space to shape this beautiful landscape so that a mosaic of thriving habitats including woodland, pasture and wet heathland allow wildlife to move and flourish.

“Gathering vital information on the biodiversity present will guide our future actions to restore nature here. We’re delighted to partner with Tesco who share a vision for creating a more resilient, diverse and nature-rich landscape.”

Tesco’s Nature Programme was launched last year, to help build on the work of the Tesco WWF partnership which came to an end in November 2023.

The Programme will focus its efforts on five key areas of action: protecting nature in key sourcing landscapes, both in the UK and abroad; scaling industry leading innovations to support biodiversity; implementing a nature plan across its own estate and operations; continuing to lead the industry on research into key challenges facing nature and the food system; and playing a leading role in cross sector engagement.