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The fund is open to all Innocent ingredient suppliers.
The enhanced fund will support ingredient suppliers in undertaking projects to transition to low-carbon farming practices and those that boost biodiversity on farms.
Launched in March 2021, the Farmer Innovation Fund aims to address the lack of funding options for commercial farmers, covering potential losses from trialling new farming methods.
The fund is open to all of innocent’s ingredient suppliers, with a focus on priority fruits like apples and oranges, which contribute significantly to the brand’s carbon emissions.
These grants will range from £20,000 to £500,000, with larger amounts considered on a case-by-case basis.
innocent Drinks’ chief executive officer Nick Canney said: “We are proud to play a part in helping our suppliers secure fruit and vegetables for the long term.
“We see the Farmer Innovation Fund as a great opportunity to weave a strong connection from our drinkers to our farmers by working with our suppliers to safeguard the future supply of fruit and vegetables. So, they can continue to play their role in delivering sustainable and healthy diets.”
The fund also aims to support advocacy, education and collaboration beyond Innocent’s supply chains. As such, the company plans to share its findings to help speed up the move to sustainable farming throughout the industry.
Among the fund’s past recipients are Döhler, which is utilising the funding to strategise ways to diminish the carbon footprint in its apple and mango supply chains, and Agrarias Manchegas, which is leveraging the fund to enhance farm inputs through data management and precision agriculture technology.
To ensure effective fund allocation, Innocent has formed an External Advisory Board comprising industry experts including SAI Platform’s regenerative agriculture director Dominik Klauser.
Klauser said: “We need to see more investment in supporting farmers on their journey towards de-risking and embracing regenerative farming practices.
“It’s great to see businesses like innocent drinks committing to support the farmers within their supply chain to make this transition”.
Innocent Drinks has committed to reducing its carbon footprint per bottle by 50% by 2030, as it works to deliver a net-zero emissions value chain by 2040.
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