Mars calls for policy backing on regenerative agriculture as UK farmers face £800mn losses

Mars has called on policymakers across Europe to support the scale-up of regenerative agriculture after successful pilots – just as a study warns that UK farmers are set to lose £800 million due to dry weather.

The food company says the more than 300 farmers that have been involved in its regenerative agriculture pilots on 60,900 hectares of land in the last year are already seeing positive results, with better crops and consistent profitability, even in challenging years.

One farmer in South-East England commented: “We are on heavy clay soils, which were very prone to water logging. [Since adopting regenerative practices] we are much less concerned about water logging as infiltration rates are better, and we don't worry so much about drought as water holding capacity is much improved. This has enabled us to operate a longer weather window, creating more field working days and reducing our labour charges accordingly.”

Climate-smart agriculture needs the right frameworks

Because of these improvements, Mars is looking to expand the adoption of ‘climate-smart’ practices such as crop rotation and reduced tillage, but requires support from policymakers – particularly to help farmers overcome financial risks and training gaps.

Specifically, the company believes governments across Europe should: unlock public-private partnerships to deliver essential training, financial support and technical assistance for farmers; prioritise outcomes-based policies that respect regional differences and give farmers flexibility in how they achieve regenerative goals; and measure impact through harmonised metrics aligned with global science-based standards such as Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and GHG Protocol.  

Chuck de Liedekerke, CEO at Soil Capital (one of the partners with which Mars is working on regenerative agriculture), said: "Expanding regenerative practices across Europe depends on consistent collaboration between farmers, businesses and policymakers. Our work with Mars rewards farmers who receive financial support because they deliver real, verified impact on the ground. The next step is for policymakers to put in place the framework to scale what’s already working across Europe’s diverse farm realities."

‘Driest spring in 100 years’ leads to losses for UK farms

At the same time, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has published an analysis of the potential financial losses faced by UK farmers growing wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape as a result of the record-breaking hot and dry spring and summer in 2025.

The organisation estimates that farmers are set to lose approximately £828 million in revenue, compared to a scenario where production volumes had been at the 10-year average – a 20% drop in income.