A Powys based farmer has become one of seven farmers across the UK to take part in a seven-year collaboration with retailer M&S.

Newtown lamb farmer, Gordon Jones, has been listed among a select group of farmers who will be part of the ‘Farm of the Future’ programme with M&S.

The collaboration will see the retailer working with suppliers, industry and farmers to deliver rapid decarbonisation of livestock production as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero by 2040.

A third generation farmer who runs a 500-acre hill farm that carries carries a flock of purebred Welsh sheep, Mr Jones already supplies lamb to M&S but hopes the programme will provide him with a greater understanding of his farm’s sustainability and where he can improve.

He said: “We believe we are currently operating at, or close to, net zero and would welcome the opportunity to confirm this and promote what we are doing already, as well as understanding what we could do better.

“We would like to understand how existing trees and woodland contribute to our aim of being carbon neutral and to understand and be able to record the existing wildlife and habitats on the farm. This will give us a starting point from which to improve our biodiversity.”

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Over the past two decades, he has planted over 30,000 trees and hedgerows to establish new woodland and wildlife corridors. However he has also experienced difficulty getting funding for further sustainability-focused projects due to the complexity and restrictions of the schemes on offer.

As part of the ‘Farms of the Future’ programme, Mr Jones will be working to decarbonise while increasing wildlife and habitat creation, as well as looking for ways to identify where positive changes can be made to the system.

Steve McLean, head of agriculture and fisheries at M&S Food, said: “As part of our sustainability action plan ‘Plan A’, we have committed to reducing our carbon footprint to net zero by 2040.

“We recognise the challenges this brings on farm, and the need to continue to produce affordable, high-quality food from sustainable supply chain relationships.

“We are committed to helping our M&S Select Farmers navigate these challenges, and this new initiative will enable us to support innovative approaches on seven of our M&S Select Farms, with the findings being shared across our whole supply base and the wider industry to help drive real change.”