M&S is funding a new carbon removal initiative using biochar on poultry farms to cut ammonia emissions and enhance bird welfare.
The pilot, run with Avara Foods and Black Bull Biochar, aims to improve nutrient retention in manure and create a replicable model for sustainable retail.
Backed by the M&S Plan A Accelerator, the project will run until Spring 2026 and demonstrate the integration of carbon credits into retail supply chains.
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has partnered with Black Bull Biochar (BBB) to purchase Biochar Carbon Removal Credits as part of a broader effort to integrate sustainable practices into its poultry supply chain. The project, which includes Avara Foods—one of the UK’s largest poultry producers—will trial the use of biochar on farms to improve environmental outcomes and bird welfare.
According to Sam Laing, Innovation Manager at Avara Foods, the biochar will deliver a “two-fold benefit”: it will first improve conditions in poultry housing and later, when the manure is spread on fields, enhance nutrient retention in the soil.
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The pilot will focus on three core goals: reducing ammonia emissions, improving bird health and productivity, and enhancing the fertilizing quality of manure.
Funded through the M&S Plan A Accelerator, the project will run from summer 2025 through to Spring 2026. The companies aim to develop a scalable model that other major retailers can adopt as part of their net-zero and sustainability strategies.
“This collaboration proves that carbon removal can be practically applied within food production and retail supply chains,” said Laing.
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