Partnering
with Retailers for Sustainable Farming
We work with the UK's leading retailers
The challenge for retailers
Retailers are under pressure to cut supply chain emissions, protect continuity of supply, and prove real-world impact — but key barriers remain:
Missing farm data
Scope 3 reporting is tough without verified, on-farm data.
Rising reporting demands
SBTi, TNFD, and ESG frameworks require structured, credible farm-level insight.
Continuity of supply is under threat
Climate, soil degradation, and volatility put future supply at risk.
Farmers need support, not pressure
Targets alone won’t deliver — retailers must bring producers with them.
How we help
Farm-level data access
Trusted data from over 2,000 UK farms — covering soil, carbon, biodiversity, and more.
Farmer-led improvement
We support producers to cut emissions, build resilience, and protect nature.
Aligned reporting
Our data maps to SBTi, TNFD, and your internal ESG metrics.
Direct investment routes
Use Exchange Market to fund insetting and on-farm action.
Partnership-first approach
We co-design practical, scalable projects with your team and your supply base.
Case Studies: Partnership in Action
The challenge
Co-op’s dairy farms are responsible for 11% of their Scope 3 emissions. Carbon tracking was already underway — but they were keen to go further. They needed a fuller picture of on-farm sustainability, and a way to support practical, farmer-led change.
"This partnership helps farmers get recognition for what they’re already doing — and support to go further."
Dr Lucy Witter
Agriculture Manager – Dairy, Co-op
Our work together
Co-op partnered with Soil Association Exchange to baseline environmental performance across their dairy group. What started with 10 pilot farms now covers over 90% of Co-op’s dairy farms.
Farmers received a full sustainability baseline — from carbon to biodiversity, carried out by our expert technicians — plus tailored advice, workshops, and access to national benchmarking. The goal: real insight, real change.
Impacts and results
90% of Co-op dairy farms onboarded
17 red list bird species recorded, including skylarks and curlews
Benchmarking against 2000+ farms to highlight strengths and spot gaps
Better decisions on soil, carbon, water, and nature — farm by farm
The view from the farm
"When we got the Exchange results, I had a very pleasant surprise. The data is really interesting. It’s presented in a way which is easy to understand and has shown me that we are actually doing a decent job.
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We are within the top 10 farms on the project for earthworm count. We had identified 20 species of bird, including some with a red or amber conservation status.​
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We will plant three new hedgerows which will provide food and shelter for birds in winter and plenty of nectar for bees in summer.
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These new additions will store water and prevent run-off, which are both areas identified for improvement."
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Cath Morley, Co-Op Dairy Farmer and Farmers Weekly Columnist
