McCain’s Farm of the Future: Adopting Regenerative Practices

Food manufacturer McCain is the largest purchaser of the British potato crop, buying approximately 20% of the market from 250 farmers across the country.

The company has announced the launch of a new Farm of the Future, which will act as a research site to develop and trial regenerative practices.

Max Koeune, President and CEO at McCain Foods, says: “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.”

Building a circular nutrient system

The UK Farm of the Future reflects McCain’s commitment to implementing regenerative agriculture practices across 100% of its global potato acreage by 2030.

Spanning 202-hectares, the farm will launch in North Yorkshire in 2026, close to McCain GB’s headquarters.

The farm will adopt practices including controlled traffic farming, year-round soil cover and biodiversity building.

This project is taking place in collaboration with the University of Leeds, which will help to develop a scientific and teaching partnership while providing independent data validation across soil health, biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions.

It will be the first Farm of the Future location to pilot a circular nutrient system, in partnership with the University’s National Pig Centre.

This method will include using pig manure to enrich soil and reduce waste, as well as demonstrating how mixed farming systems aim to improve soil health and biodiversity while lowering emissions.

Professor Nick Plant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, says: “The University of Leeds is committed to helping address global challenges including food security and the climate crisis.

“Our partnership with McCain at their Farm of the Future in the UK is a clear example of our joint ambition to promote farming practices which minimise environmental impact.

“Establishing this 20-year agreement will enable us to further develop research expertise in soil health and land productivity that can benefit farming approaches worldwide.”

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The Global Farm of the Future programme

This farm is McCain’s third commercial-scale research and innovation site used to trial regenerative agriculture practices.

It completes the company’s Farms of the Future programme, building on its established farms in Canada and South Africa.

These farms bring together scientists, agronomists and experts in advanced farming technology to test and embed the best practices in smart and regenerative farming.

The new UK farm aims to build upon the foundations of the other two farms, with insights from its research used to inform McCain’s global network of 4,400 farmers.

“Farming is at the heart of Britain’s food system,” says James Young, Vice President of Agriculture at McCain GB&I, “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 efforts will support British farmers as they navigate increasing pressure from unpredictable weather, declining soil health and changing policies.

The company’s recent Farmdex research revealed that 77% of British farmers agree that sustainable practices are essential.

It showed that the farmers already investing in regenerative farming techniques report greater confidence and resilience.