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Across the Group, our food and retail businesses depend on agricultural systems for the majority of the raw materials and ingredients required to make our products.
A Jordans Farm Partnership farm in Hampshire, UK
We recognise the importance of managing those agricultural systems responsibly if we are to meet a growing population’s need for safe, nutritious and affordable food and clothing that is great value for money.
We also recognise the interconnectivity between agriculture and climate change, and how efforts to address the risks, opportunities and impacts related to climate change, land use, biodiversity, water, soil health and waste all have an impact on agriculture. Our businesses support a wide range of interventions at the agricultural level, with a focus on more responsible farm management practices. They are also addressing the most material impacts, risks and opportunities, often with a focus on soil as we recognise this provides the foundation for agricultural productivity and resilience. This includes a number of activities, including certified organic production, engagement with smallholder growers and adoption of farm management systems focused on driving more sustainable farm productivity and exploring new technologies and approaches.
We have a strong association with the UK agricultural sector, and some of our food businesses are working closely with UK farmers to support more regenerative farming practices for cereals such as wheat, oats and sugar beet. Globally, our businesses purchase a range of commodities such as cotton, sugar cane, tea and cereals, and a number of our businesses are working directly with farmers to identify opportunities within the supply chain to protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystems.
Most of our businesses continuously consider and implement activities, voluntary commitments and internationally recognised management systems that can guide and assist efforts to reduce their environmental and social impacts and risks, including risk of deforestation.
This encompasses our approach to the environment in line with the following requirements as a minimum:
We recognise the commercial imperative of protecting agricultural systems that enable the supply of raw materials and ingredients to our businesses.
A healthy agricultural system, which protects natural assets and ecosystems including soil, biodiversity, water and air quality, will ensure we are able to continue sourcing the commodities we need. We believe the responsible management of these agricultural systems will help ensure a higher level of food security, and we recognise the need for action from all stakeholders in the value chain if this is to be achieved.
As a diverse group of food, ingredients, agriculture and retail businesses, our businesses’ connection to agriculture spans many different crops, regions and supply chains. There is no single approach that works everywhere. Some of our businesses are able to work directly together with farmers to influence positive change, while other businesses will need to do so more indirectly and rely more heavily on their stakeholder relationships. Our businesses work with farmers and partners on activities that focus on their material risks, local conditions and customer needs.
Rice farmers near Eminabad, Pakistan, growing basmati rice for Westmill Foods to the Sustainable Rice Platform Standard
For example, at Jordans Cereals, the Jordans Farm Partnership works with farmers, LEAF and The Wildlife Trusts to support farming practices that help improve soil health while creating space for nature. Farmers participating in the programme manage their land to recognised environmental standards and dedicate areas to wildlife habitats. These actions help support soil fertility, biodiversity and the long-term resilience of farming businesses.
At Allied Mills, the Wheat Sustainability Supply Project supports farmers in adopting practices such as crop rotation, minimal tillage and precision agriculture. The project demonstrates how improving soil health can also contribute to reducing GHG emissions and strengthening the resilience of wheat production.
British Sugar is working with growers and researchers to explore new technologies and approaches that support productive soils. This includes efforts to reduce soil compaction, maintain soil organic matter and improve resource efficiency across sugar beet production. For example, British Sugar has been piloting AI and high-resolution camera technology to treat individual plants with pinpoint accuracy and reduce the use of herbicides. It is also piloting pollinator sensors that deliver real-time data to guide spraying decisions and identify opportunities to strengthen pollinator habitats.
Beyond the UK, ABF Sugar has achieved FSA silver level equivalence across all its businesses’ own operations and also grower operations in Malawi. The Primark Cotton Project works with hundreds of thousands of farmers to promote practices such as crop rotation, reduced tillage and the use of natural fertilisers. These practices can help improve soil quality, support farm productivity and strengthen resilience to changing environmental conditions.
These examples demonstrate the potential link between nature and good business. Taking action to promote healthy agricultural systems can help farmers improve resilience, manage risk and maintain productivity over time. This in turn can benefit farming communities, supply chains and the businesses that depend on them.
However, farmers cannot achieve this alone. Building resilient agricultural systems requires action across the value chain from Governments, researchers, financial institutions and businesses. We believe that collaboration will be essential if agriculture is to meet the challenges of the future. By working together across the food system, we can help create agricultural systems that are more productive, more resilient and better able to support nature.
You can find more examples of this in our divisional sections here.
Some of our businesses supply a range of products and services to the agricultural sector that facilitate efficient farm management and more regenerative approaches. AB Agri is a large supplier of animal feed and nutrition products to the dairy, poultry and pig sectors in the UK, providing a range of technology and consultancy services to promote efficiency.
Supporting customers in improving their farm ecosystems is an increasingly important part of AB Agri’s approach in this area. For example, AB Sustain connects farmers, processors and retailers with practical tools and programmes, including its Farm Footprints service, which enables major food producers to measure their supply chain GHG emissions. Kite Consulting provides on-farm advisory services, including support to help improve nutrient efficiency and GHG emissions reduction.
At ABF, we recognise that protecting forests is critical to tackling climate change, conserving nature and ecosystems and supporting resilient agricultural supply chains. Our businesses must comply with all laws and regulations applicable to deforestation in the jurisdictions relevant to them.
Businesses are expected to identify their material risks, including where they source deforestation-risk commodities, and have governance in place to manage those risks, including appropriate levels of visibility through the relevant supply chains.
Some of our businesses source commodities that are linked with potential risks related to deforestation and biodiversity loss, such as palm oil. ABF has been a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (‘RSPO’) since 2010. We are committed to supporting our businesses to source 100% of palm oil and palm-related ingredients through one of the RSPO’s four recognised supply chain models. In calendar year 2025, 10% of the palm-related ingredients sourced by our businesses was certified through segregated RSPO supply chains, while 17% was certified through mass balance RSPO supply chains. The remaining 73% of palm-related ingredients sourced across the Group were covered by RSPO book and claim credits.
Those businesses that have set Forest, Land and Agriculture related targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative have also established no-deforestation commitments across their primary deforestation linked commodities.
In preparation for the EU Deforestation Regulation (‘EUDR’), our businesses have been working to identify products in scope of the regulation and to have in place relevant policies, controls, procedures and systems. This has been supported by guidance and tools to support understanding and effective EUDR due diligence.
For more information, find our Deforestation Position Statement here.
You can find more details on this topic in our divisional sections here.
At ABF, we believe in the importance of maintaining appropriate animal health and welfare standards, and the Group Animal Health and Welfare Position Statement sets out how we expect our businesses to approach this issue.
Within the Group, only AB Agri, DON and Nanga Farms have direct involvement with the farming of animals. Where the farming of animals is or may become relevant to any of our businesses, or when any of them conduct animal feed trials1, we expect their approach to be governed by policies or procedures which are guided by internationally recognised standards such as the Five Domains Model of animal welfare assessment. Many of our businesses purchase ingredients derived from animals, such as eggs and dairy products, or materials derived from animals, such as leather and wool.
We expect our businesses to develop their own appropriate animal health and welfare sourcing standards and requirements in relation to the ingredients and materials they source, and to require their suppliers and representatives to comply with those standards and requirements. For more information, find our Animal Health and Welfare Position Statement here.
The small number of our businesses that purchase eggs are either already sourcing from cage-free hens or have a cage-free commitment in progress. Learn more about our commitment on cage-free eggs.
1.Animal feed trials refers to nutritional evaluation trials with animals, based on what an animal would be expected to experience either in its natural environment or in a typical domestic or farmed situation.
