McCain Foods’ new UK Farm of the Future offers a blueprint for regenerative farming that combines local knowledge with global expertise, helping to future-proof British agriculture.
MCCAIN FOODS’ LESSON IN BRITISH REGENERATIVE FARMING
The largest manufacturer of prepared potato products and purchaser of British potato crop, McCain Foods’ (McCain) has announced it will launch a new Farm of the Future in the UK.
The third of its kind – joining existing sites in New Brunswick, Canada, and Lichtenburg, South Africa – Farm of the Future UK will reside in North Yorkshire, which has also served as McCain’s British headquarters for the past 50 years.
The launch is a watershed moment in the company’s long-term goals to promote regenerative agricultural practices across the globe.
Max Koeune, President and CEO at McCain Foods, has noted that Farm of the Future will offer real-time, field-based insights and demonstrates the validity of practical science-backed solutions.
Developed in partnership with the University of Leeds, Farm of the Future is positioned as a critical commercial-scale research and innovation site. It will provide key insights into regenerative farming practices that will be shared with McCain’s international network of over 4,400 farms.
Nick Plant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, believes that the institution’s 20-year agreement with McCain will help it develop research expertise in soil health and land productivity.
This will, in turn, strengthen the resilience of farms worldwide, support global partners, and build a more sustainable food system.
UPHOLDING GREEN BRITISH FARMING
The establishment of the 202-hectare site complements McCain’s ongoing environmental strategy, coinciding with the launch of its 2025 Global Sustainability Report.
Farm of the Future UK is the most advanced instalment of the programme so far, bringing to the forefront innovative practices including controlled traffic farming, year-round soil cover, and biodiversity enhancement.
It will also be the first site to pilot a circular nutrient system, developed in agreement with the University of Leeds National Pig Centre, which uses pig manure to enrich soils and reduce waste.
Notably, this initiative serves as a prime example of how mixed farming systems can enhance soil health and biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).
Farm of the Future UK will also be integral to helping British farms tackle long-standing challenges imposed by unpredictable weather, declining soil health, ongoing policy uncertainty, and other systematic pressures.
Indeed, McCain’s most recent Farmdex Report highlighted that 77 percent of British farmers believed that sustainable practices are essential to the future of farming, with those already investing in them reporting greater confidence and resilience.
James Young, Vice President of Agriculture at McCain GB&I, has commented that Farm of the Future will be crucial in aiding Britain’s food system and providing farmers with new solutions that will help overcome growing challenges.
More specifically, Young is excited for the ways in which the programme will combine global knowledge with local action, providing a blueprint to help secure the future of farming for generations to come.
