Tesco launches business support package for future farmers

Tesco has launched a ‘Future Farmer Foundation’, that it says will support young British farmers through a package of business support training, supply chain insight, and mentoring.

The supermarket announced it would offer a free, ‘bespoke package’ of business related training and mentorship to a minimum of 15 young people in its first year and individual training to groups of other applicants.

The foundation will offer leadership skills, business and financial planning and volatility management, mentoring, supply chain experience, a global scholarship scheme, and networking opportunities. Those who don’t make it to the final 15 may be able to receive some of this training if the demand is high. 

Laying out the plans for the foundation to 150 young farmers at Farmers Weekly’s Fertile Minds conference today (Wednesday 20 November), Richard Marris, Tesco’s fresh foods commercial director said, “We want the next generation of farmers to be working with us for decades to come.  We’ve developed the Foundation to be a strong base from which the farmers of tomorrow can launch themselves.”

Training for the 15 young farmers will last a year to 18 months, during which Tesco said it would review the scheme and consider extending it to more individuals. The supermarket said it would encourage those on the scheme to spread what they learnt to the wider farming community.

Tesco said it hopes those on the full scheme will gain an insight into consumer demand, through a supply chain experience where they will follow a product from farm, to store and meet a buyer, technical manager, and agricultural manager at Tesco HQ.
 
Training modules have been piloted with eight young farmers over two weeks. The application process opened today and closes on 31 December and is open to innovative people aged 20-35 years old, with or without agricultural qualifications, who live and work in the UK.

Young people who are taking over the family farm, embarking on a new business venture, or entering the industry for the first time will be considered. More information can be found at the tescofuturefarmerfoundation website and watch the video about the foundation below.

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Read tweets from the Fertile Minds event