Farms

When many people think of The Co-operative Group, very few think farms. But we have been farming since 1896 and we are now the UK’s biggest farmer. We are primarily an arable farmer, growing a number of cereals, but we also grow potatoes, strawberries, cider apples and peas that go into our stores. Our aim is to expand the range of foods we grow and provide high-quality British produce for our customers.

For us, farming is much more than growing food. It is about a sustainable business that cares for the environment, protects local wildlife and raises awareness about food. We're committed to farming in a way that is sensitive to the environment. For example, we've banned the use of certain chemicals and we use crop management systems to reduce our need for chemical pesticides and fertilisers. All our farms are participating in conservation schemes to ensure that we maintain and encourage diverse habitats, which we review individually each year to continually improve our environmental practices.

Farm education and food awareness are extremely important to us. Our food education project, Farm to Fork, on the Stoughton Estate near Leicester has been a great success. Primary school children visit the farm once each season to find out more about where certain foods come from. We’re now rolling this out to other farms around the country.

We work closely with our food business and central marketing functions, offering broader career opportunities and progression than other employers in the industry. We also support and train our people so that they fulfil their potential.

The Co-operative Farms Fact: Our wind farm in Cambridgeshire (on our own farmland) generates enough power for 9,000 homes.