News for investors
Movement in the regenerative and nutrient-density thesis.
Defra farming innovation partnerships secure £40m private investment
Defra's farming innovation partnerships have secured £40m private investment across 12 projects. Further competition round planned. Read more on the Defra Future Farming Blog.
Rodale Institute awards Rachel Kulchin regenerative farming recognition
Rodale Institute honours Blue Heron Farm's Rachel Kulchin with 2026 Good Farmer Award for high-desert regenerative farming innovation and soil health practices.
UK grants first marketing notice for gene-edited barley variety
Agri-TechE reports first PBO marketing notice approval in UK for gene-edited barley, following 30 years of scientific debate on precision breeding.
Defra extends farm equipment and technology investment funding deadline
Defra reminds farmers of 28 April 2026 deadline for FETF funding supporting productivity, animal health, and slurry management. Source: Defra Future Farming Blog.
GNSS developers expand precision agriculture technologies for farm productivity
GNSS developers expand precision agriculture market focus. Agri-TechE reports on soil mapping and variable-rate farm technology growth.
MPs examine Middle East conflict's impact on UK food and fertiliser
MPs examine how US–Israel–Iran tensions affect UK food security, fertiliser costs and fuel prices. Farmers Guide reports on Parliament's inquiry into geopolitical supply chain risk.
Leicestershire farmer launches nutrient use efficiency disconnect project
Farmer Will Oliver launches project to bridge gap between theoretical and practical nutrient use efficiency on farms. Reported by Farmers Guide.
Geopolitical tensions drive input costs higher for arable farmers
Farmers Guardian: geopolitical conflict driving input price surge threatens arable farm survival. Cost pressures pose systemic challenge to farm viability.
New Frontiers Editorial: Impact of Soil Health on Crop Nutrition and Human Health
A new editorial in Frontiers in Nutrition maps the soil-microbe-plant nexus and directly validates the evidence base in Vitagri’s Growing Health Report.
Vitagri Launches the GroundUp Framework
The UK’s first framework for measuring, verifying, and rewarding nutrient-dense food production is now published and open for engagement.
McCain Launches ’Farm of the Future’ in North Yorkshire — Regenerative Agriculture at Commercial Scale
McCain Foods’ third global regenerative agriculture research site begins potato production in 2026, independently validated by the University of Leeds.
UK Regenerative Dairy Trial Shows Measurable Soil Carbon Gains
New UK data from First Milk and Agricarbon reveals soil carbon gains of up to 8.9 tonnes per hectare from regenerative dairy farming practices.
Vitagri Joins Innovate UK International Programme
Vitagri partners with the Bionutrient Institute through an Innovate UK-supported collaboration to advance nutrient density measurement.
Global Treaty for Nutrient Density Nears Publication — Defining Standards for 20 Crops Worldwide
The Bionutrient Food Association’s Treaty will define what "nutrient dense" means for 20 crops globally — the first international attempt at a standard that aligns with Vitagri’s GroundUp approach.
Growing Health White Paper Published
Vitagri’s landmark 51-page synthesis of 16,000+ peer-reviewed studies on farming practice, soil health, and human nutrition — now freely available.
UK Bans Junk Food Advertising Before 9pm — But Is It Enough Without Measuring Nutritional Quality?
The HFSS ad ban addresses symptoms. Without mechanisms to measure and reward nutritional quality at the farm level, the food system still optimises for cheapness over nutrition.