Ambitious plans to reduce the environmental impacts of farming and increase food security have been revealed as part of a collaboration between the University of Leeds and McCain Foods.
The McCain Farm of the Future UK will be established on the University's farm, which is on the border of West and North Yorkshire near Tadcaster.
The project will combine scientific research and agri-business expertise to accelerate innovation in British agriculture as farmers navigate increasing pressure from unpredictable weather, declining soil health and ongoing policy uncertainty.
Establishing this 18-year agreement will enable us to further develop research expertise in soil health and land productivity that can benefit farming approaches worldwide.
It will be McCain's third Farm of the Future – following ventures in McCain's hometown of Florenceville, Canada, and in Lichtenburg, South Africa – with insights shared with a global network of farmers.
Professor Stefan Kepinski, Head of the School of Biology at the University of Leeds, said: "Growing potatoes more sustainably requires innovation and the optimisation of every component of the arable rotation, from reducing inputs and emissions, building soil health and biodiversity to alternative energy, robotics, AI and digital agriculture.
"Establishing the McCain Farm of the Future UK creates an exceptional platform for long-term, evidence-based research into these challenges.
"This collaboration brings exciting opportunities to drive interdisciplinary research and enhance teaching and skills development, ensuring our students and collaborators can contribute to the future of sustainable agriculture."
The most advanced McCain Farm of the Future to date, the new venture involves McCain taking out a 18-year lease on 202 hectares of the University's farm. It will adopt practices such as controlled traffic farming, year-round soil cover and biodiversity building.
It will also be the first McCain Farm of the Future location to pilot a circular nutrient system, developed in partnership with the University's adjacent National Pig Centre, using pig manure to enrich soils, reduce waste, and demonstrate if mixed farming systems can improve soil health and biodiversity while identifying practices that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Additional areas of focus will include autonomous vehicles and alternative fuels for farm equipment.
Like the Canadian and South African Farms of the Future, these results will be published annually in dedicated reports, ensuring transparency and global knowledge-sharing.
Insights from the UK farm will feed directly into McCain's global network of 4,400 farmers, providing much needed evidence-based practice that can support farmers to minimise the environmental impacts of farming worldwide.
Strengthening farm resilience
Max Koeune, President & CEO at McCain Foods, said: "McCain Farm of the Future UK marks an important step in how we are scaling regenerative agriculture across our global Farms of the Future.
"Each site helps us test real solutions with farmers, understand what works, and share that knowledge across our network. This is how we strengthen the resilience of our farms, support our partners, and build a more sustainable food system for the long term."
James Young, Vice President of Agriculture at McCain GB&I, added: "Farming is at the heart of Britain's food system, and farmers face growing challenges that demand new solutions.
"We're proud to launch our third and final Farm of the Future here in the UK, combining global knowledge with local action and a research partnership with the University of Leeds.
"This farm will show that regenerative farming works in practice and aims to provide a blueprint for others, helping secure the future of farming for generations to come."
McCain's three Farms of the Future serve as living research hubs, sharing data, insights and best practices with growers, research partners, and industry peers to drive system-wide transformation in sustainable agriculture.
Professor Nick Plant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, said: "The University of Leeds is committed to helping address global challenges, including food security and the climate crisis.
"Our collaboration with McCain at their Farm of the Future in the UK is a clear example of our joint ambition to provide evidence that supports farming practices which minimise environmental impacts.
"Establishing this 18-year agreement will enable us to further develop research expertise in soil health and land productivity that can benefit farming approaches worldwide."
The launch of McCain Farm of the Future UK coincides with the release of a new global sustainability report by McCain – whose UK headquarters are in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
The report outlines progress toward the company's sustainability commitments including advancing its regenerative agriculture framework across its global potato supply chain.
