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Nestlé UK & Ireland has formalised a strategic partnership with regenerative food and farming brand Wildfarmed to integrate regeneratively farmed British wheat into its KitKat supply chain. The move marks a significant scaling of regenerative practices within the company's UK manufacturing footprint, transitioning from pilot trials to full-scale production for the 1.5 billion KitKat bars manufactured annually in York.
The collaboration follows a successful testing period initiated last year at Nestlé’s York facility. Having validated the functional performance of the wheat within the wafer manufacturing process, the company is now scaling the sourcing model to meet the high-volume requirements of its UK production lines.
The wheat is sourced from Wildfarmed’s network of British farmers who adhere to a standardised set of holistic agricultural protocols. These practices are designed to restore soil health and improve environmental resilience, moving beyond traditional intensive agricultural methods that prioritise yield at the expense of long-term soil viability.
The core regenerative agricultural standards adopted by the participating farm network include:
🚜 Limited Soil Disturbance: Reducing mechanical tillage to preserve soil structure and prevent organic matter loss.
🌱 Year-Round Soil Cover: Maintaining vegetative cover to protect against erosion and nutrient leaching.
🌼 Plant Diversity: Encouraging multi-crop rotations to disrupt pest cycles and improve nutrient cycling.
🥕 Living Roots: Ensuring consistent biological activity in the soil profile to improve water retention and carbon sequestration.
Operations and Supply Chain Resilience
For Nestlé, the partnership represents a critical chapter in its broader corporate sustainability framework, which seeks to reduce the environmental footprint of its high-volume product lines. By transitioning to regeneratively farmed raw materials, the business aims to support carbon reduction and biodiversity improvements within its upstream agricultural supply network.
Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé UK and Ireland, noted that collaboration is essential for a large-scale food manufacturer to achieve meaningful sustainability goals. She highlighted that the partnership is focused on supporting British wheat farmers in adopting these nature-friendly practices, ensuring the long-term viability of the landscapes upon which the business depends.
For Wildfarmed, the agreement serves as a proof of concept that nature restoration can be successfully integrated into the supply chains of global, iconic brands. Edd Lees, CEO and co-founder of Wildfarmed, stated that the partnership is a significant step forward in making regenerative farming the default rather than the exception, effectively flipping a food system that has historically undervalued nature and soil health.
Broader ESG Integration
The partnership with Wildfarmed builds upon Nestlé's existing long-term initiatives aimed at improving the environmental impact of its dairy and cocoa supply chains:
Dairy Partnerships: The company maintains a 22-year relationship with the British dairy collective First Milk, working with farmers in Ayrshire and Cumbria to promote soil health, crop rotation, and biodiversity in the production of milk for Nestlé’s chocolate and coffee operations.
Cocoa Sourcing: Through the Nestlé Income Accelerator programme in Côte d’Ivoire, the company is focusing on boosting the resilience and income of cocoa-growing families, ensuring the long-term sustainability of its raw ingredient supply.
By consolidating these initiatives, Nestlé aims to align its core high-volume product portfolios with environmental restoration targets, ensuring consistent food production while working to leave the land in an improved state for future generations.
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