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Grants of up to £200,000 available for agricultural co-ops fighting the climate crisis

News item

Published
1st February 2023
Last updated
22nd February 2023
Topic
Climate action
Image
Arla farmer David Christensen

The Co-op Foundation is partnering with The Co-op Group to reduce reliance on soy and fertilisers in farming through a new grants scheme. 

From innovative approaches utilising cutting edge technology to more traditional techniques such as regenerative farming, a new funding stream could help agricultural co-operatives develop their climate action project.  

  • Does your agricultural co-op want to work creatively to reduce its environmental impact?

  • Do you have plans for reducing reliance on soy-based animal or fish feed?

  • Do you have an alternative to synthetic fertilisers, or an idea which would reduce their negative impact?

Round two of The Co-op Foundation’s £3.5m Carbon Innovation Fund (CIF) partnership with The Co-op Group is now open. The fund offers grants of between £75,000 to £200,000 to organisations working to reduce reliance on soy-based animal or fish feed and/or synthetic fertilisers. The work builds upon the Foundation’s strategy to create more sustainable communities.

Building communities of the future together
Discover more about Co-op Foundation’s five-year strategy.
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This second round of funding will help build more sustainable communities by reducing the environmental impact of the soy industry and synthetic fertilisers. We want to work closely with our partners, listen and learn and I’d encourage all those eligible for this funding to apply today.
– Nick Crofts, CEO of The Co-op Foundation

Funding follows on from £1.4m of grant-giving in round one that saw the partnership support organisations working to decrease carbon emissions from the food, farming and aquaculture industries. The Carbon Innovation Fund is the largest partnership of its kind between The Co-op Group and its charity, The Co-op Foundation. It is funded by The Co-op Group donations from the sale of its compostable carrier bags in the UK, as well as the Foundation’s own funds.    

Between five and 10 grants are expected to be awarded, helping the Foundation to deliver on The Co-op Group's vision of ‘Co-operating for a Fairer World’. 

What next?
Find out more about eligibility, levels of funding and how to apply.