M&S Set to Sell UK's First Autonomously Farmed Parsnips

M&S has announced the results of a ground-breaking trial that’s set to shake up the farming industry - and the way we think about our vegetables.

This November, M&S will be the first UK retailer to sell lower-carbon parsnips, grown using autonomous technology, aiming to help farmers reduce their environmental impact, improve crop quality and boost yields.

M&S is breaking new ground with their supplier, Huntapac, by introducing autonomous farming for parsnips.

This effort is part of their larger commitment to reducing Scope 3 emissions in its supply chain.

The initiative falls under the Scope 3 Category 1 "Purchased goods and services", including all upstream emissions from the production of products and services acquired by the company. 

By tapping into cutting-edge technology including drones and robots, M&S is reshaping how their produce is grown. This is key to its strategy to create a lower carbon footprint and healthier crops.

This is no ordinary farming. Through autonomous methods, tasks like planting, weeding and monitoring are handled by machines, reducing the need for heavy machinery and slashing carbon emissions.

Even more impressive, M&S and Huntapac have integrated a minimum tillage approach, which keeps carbon locked in the soil. Plus, they’re using a green fertiliser that converts nitrogen dioxide into nitrogen, which plants can use during photosynthesis.

The results are promising: early reports show a 46% cut in emissions compared to conventional farming.

“Our 40-year relationship with M&S has gone from strength to strength and we couldn’t have done this project without the Plan A Accelerator Fund," says Stephen Shields, Technical & Sustainability Director at Huntapac. 

"Not only are we seeing a reduction of the carbon impact but more parsnips at higher quality, due to us being able to plant the seeds despite bad weather earlier this year.

"This would have a fantastic impact on our business at scale and we’re aiming to deliver multiple fields farmed this way for next season.”

But the innovations don’t stop with reducing carbon; drones and AI are also boosting crop quality. In fact, the trial fields produced 16% more top-quality parsnips than other fields.

Furthermore, when it comes to unpredictable weather, autonomous tech steps in where traditional methods fall short. After one of the wettest starts to the year, the smart machines were still able to plant parsnips while conventional equipment would have been stuck in the mud.

“Innovation is at the heart of M&S Food and our Plan A Accelerator Fund offers us the opportunity to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of our suppliers," comments Andrew Clappen, Technical Director at M&S Food.

"Projects like this help us move towards being a Net Zero business across all our operations and entire supply chain by 2040, whilst focussing on the quality of produce that M&S is famous for.

"Agriculture is one of our biggest contributors to emissions, so it’s important that we find new lower impact farming methods.

"Trialling new ways to support our Plan A roadmap to Net Zero is an important step on the journey and this project has helped deliver more parsnips at M&S quality, a carbon reduction and brings together new technologies which if adopted more widely would create more highly skilled jobs and attract new talent into the sector.” 

Redefining the role of farmers

As M&S moves towards its net zero goal by 2040, this project also addresses some of the key challenges the farming sector faces, like attracting new talent and creating more skilled jobs.

The shift to autonomous farming could be as transformative as the introduction of the tractor. By using advanced technology to tackle the more laborious tasks, farmers can focus on other areas, from managing soil health to improving biodiversity.

With the added use of drones, robots, and AI, the role of a farmer may soon require a different, more tech-savvy skill set.

Sustainable innovation with Plan A

Meanwhile, M&S has been vocal about its commitment to sustainability and this trial is just one example of how it’s pushing boundaries to meet those promises.

The lower-carbon parsnips are the first project funded by the M&S Plan A Accelerator Fund, designed to support innovative ideas that help the retailer move towards net zero.

The parsnips, grown in Yorkshire, will be available in selected stores this November. But this isn’t just about a single crop - it’s a blueprint for the future of farming. As the world faces the dual challenges of climate change and feeding a growing population, projects like this one offer a glimpse of how we might square the circle.

The Farming with Nature programme, part of M&S’s wider sustainability strategy, also plays a key role in this trial. It includes various initiatives to improve biodiversity both in the soil and above ground.

For instance, the fields are bordered by wildflowers and equipped with AgriSound boxes that monitor pollinator activity, using specialised listening devices. It’s all part of a holistic approach to farming that doesn’t just focus on reducing carbon emissions but also on enhancing the ecosystems that support crop growth.

By focusing on both sustainable practices and tech-driven solutions, M&S is paving the way for a smarter, greener future in farming - and showing that even something as humble as a parsnip can play a role in tackling climate change.

Receive the next edition of Scope 3 Magazine by signing up for its newsletter. 

As part of this portfolio, make sure you check out Procurement Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE.

Also check out our sister brand, Sustainability Magazine and sign up to its global conference series - Sustainability LIVE.

Scope 3 Magazine is a BizClik brand.