UK Government funding will drive UK agricultural projects that turn new crops and low-emission farming techniques into ready-to-use tools to improve productivity.
The £21.5m of funding, delivered through Defra’s Agricultural Innovation Program in partnership with Innovate UK, will translate cutting-edge research into practical tools for UK farming, including vitamin-rich tomatoes and climate-smart hemp.
Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Agriculture, said:
“This funding will support new ideas that farmers can use to reduce methane and fertilizer-related emissions on the ground, strengthen crop resilience and improve nutrition in UK agriculture.”
New innovations in British agriculture
Successful British agricultural projects include:
‘Sunshine Tomato’ (Provitamin D₃): Using precision breeding, we have created a tomato rich in Provitamin D₃. Based on previous field trials, it aims to improve nutrition and help address vitamin D deficiency. Low-emission fertilizers for dairy: Replace 50% of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers with biological replacement fertilizers to reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, improve soil health, and enhance nutrient management. Climate-resilient industrial hemp: Developing high-value hemp varieties that can better cope with changing weather conditions. Because hemp can grow on poor soil, it has the potential to provide a new source of income from less productive farmland and support sustainable food, fiber and biomaterials.
Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director of Innovate UK, explained: “Together with Defra, Innovate UK is rapidly moving precision breeding and low-emissions technologies from research to real-world use, enabling farmers and agribusinesses to grow, compete and unlock new economic opportunities across the UK food and agriculture sector.”
Strengthening the backbone of rural productivity
This latest investment signal is more than just an injection of capital. This represents a strategic shift towards circular farming in UK agriculture.
By bridging the ‘valley of death’ between laboratory research and commercial feasibility, this project will ensure that UK farmers are not just bystanders of the Green Revolution, but its main drivers. The focus on precision breeding and biochemical alternatives signals a shift from resource-intensive traditional methods to data-driven, highly efficient models.
The economic impact extends far beyond the farm. By fostering a domestic market for climate-resilient high-value crops such as hemp, the government is laying the foundations for new local supply chains in the biomaterials and textile sectors.
This diversification is critical to local resilience, providing a financial safety net against volatile global commodity prices and unpredictable weather patterns.
Promoting agritech and food security across the UK
The funding supports the Government’s commitment to invest at least £200m in agricultural innovation by 2030 and reflects a clear choice to support rural growth and food security through transformational plans.
This builds on around £2.3 million awarded to 30 projects through the first round of the government’s ADOPT Fund, announced in December.
The trial is testing new ideas on working farms, from low-emission machinery to digital tools to support day-to-day farm management.
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