McCain to launch UK 'Farm of the Future' to trial regenerative practices
McCain has announced plans to establish a new UK Farm of the Future in North Yorkshire, aimed at testing regenerative farming practices in real conditions and sharing the findings directly with its potato growers.
The 202-hectare site, due to begin potato production in 2026, will be based close to McCain GB’s headquarters, which has been located in the county for more than 50 years.
It will become McCain’s third Farm of the Future globally, joining existing commercial-scale sites in Canada and South Africa, and will act as a working farm rather than a demonstration plot.
McCain said the UK project is intended to support growers as they face increasing pressure from weather volatility, soil health challenges and policy uncertainty, by trialling practices that can be tested, measured and adapted before wider adoption.
Findings from the farm will be shared with McCain’s global network of around 4,400 farmers, including UK potato growers supplying the business.
The announcement coincides with the release of McCain Foods’ 2025 Global Sustainability Report, which confirms the company has now delivered its commitment to establish three Farms of the Future.
Farm of the Future UK will be developed in partnership with the University of Leeds, creating a long-term research and teaching collaboration focused on soil health, biodiversity, land productivity and greenhouse gas emissions.
The site is expected to be McCain’s most advanced Farm of the Future to date, with practices including controlled traffic farming, year-round soil cover and measures to improve biodiversity across the rotation.
It will also be the first of McCain’s Farms of the Future to pilot a circular nutrient system, developed with the University of Leeds National Pig Centre, using pig manure to improve soil fertility, reduce waste and explore the benefits of mixed farming systems.
Other areas of research will include the use of autonomous machinery and alternative fuels for farm equipment, with the aim of assessing what is practical and scalable for commercial growers.
Results from the UK farm will be published annually, following the same model as McCain’s sites in Canada and South Africa, allowing farmers to see how systems perform over time rather than in a single season.
Max Koeune, president and chief executive of 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,” he said. “This is how we strengthen the resilience of our farms and support our partners for the long term.”
James Young, vice president of agriculture at McCain GB and Ireland, said the UK farm was designed to translate research into practical outcomes.
“Farming is at the heart of Britain’s food system, and farmers face growing challenges that demand new solutions,” he said. “This farm will show how regenerative farming works in practice and aims to provide a blueprint that growers can learn from.”
Professor Nick Plant, pro-vice-chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Leeds, said the partnership would support long-term research that could be applied beyond the site itself.
“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,” he said.
“This 20-year agreement will allow us to develop research expertise in soil health and land productivity that can benefit farming approaches worldwide.”
McCain said it has already made progress towards its regenerative agriculture targets in Great Britain, with 86% of its potato acreage now classified as “Engaged” or higher within its Regenerative Agriculture Framework.
The company also reported a 25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 19% reduction in water intensity since 2017.
For growers, McCain said the UK Farm of the Future will act as a testing ground for approaches that could be adopted across the supply chain, helping to reduce risk and provide evidence-based options as farming systems continue to evolve.
