pladis, the global snacking company behind some of the UK’s most loved and iconic brands, is highlighting its support for British farmers and its commitment to British wheat with a new design across its McVitie’s Digestives Original range.

Launching in stores and wholesalers now, the new packets celebrate partnerships with farmers and the use of ‘100% British wheat’, supplied to pladis through its Back to Farm programme which is delivered in partnership with Frontier Agriculture, drawing on Frontier’s established relationships with growers, agronomy expertise and grain supply chain capability.

The programme currently involves just over 50 farmers, providing financial and practical support to help them introduce regenerative farming practices. To date, over 4,000 hectares are being farmed this way, producing over 30,000 tonnes – roughly equivalent to the annual wheat requirement for McVitie’s Digestives Original.

“We are proud to showcase our commitment to British farmers – and therefore our Back to Farm programme – on-pack by letting progressively knowledgeable and engaged consumers know that we use only British-grown wheat in all our McVitie’s Original Digestives,” says Jennifer Parise, Director Procurement, pladis UK&I.

“We help to support British farmers through Back to Farm, in which wheat is grown using regenerative practices aimed at improving soil health and biodiversity.

“Delivered in partnership with Frontier Agriculture, the scheme operates a flexible, tiered recognition system that’s designed to acknowledge existing regenerative practices and encourage further progress at farm level.

“Our goal is to have over 50% of all wheat used in our UK-baked products grown through our Back to Farm programme by the end of 2030, and having more growers and more land farmed as part of our programme is critical to this.

“Over time, we aim to support yields from wheat grown with regenerative practices and improve the resilience of our ingredients to climate change, with plans to expand into other crops in the future.”

Stronger connections

For Frontier, schemes such as the one developed with pladis provide a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections across the supply chain, recognising and rewarding growers for their efforts while supporting shared sustainability goals and long-term, quality food production.

Key account manager for Frontier, Tom Coulter, says: “Supporting farmers to grow profitable crops while improving soil health and enhancing the wider environment is fundamental to creating resilient supply chains for the future.

“We’re pleased to be working with pladis and its McVitie’s brand to further develop the Back to Farm programme, helping growers to adopt and expand regenerative farming practices that suit their businesses. The programme enables us to measure and demonstrate the environmental benefits being delivered on farm, ensuring growers are recognised and rewarded for the positive outcomes they’re delivering.”

Private sector initiatives are increasingly recognised as an important way to support the sustainability of food production. Frontier's position within the arable supply chain enables growers to access and maximise the value of programmes such as pladis' Back to Farm scheme. Alongside delivering environmental benefits, these initiatives help farmers reduce production risks, strengthen farm resilience and maintain productivity and profitability over the long term.

“What I value about the Back to Farm programme is that it recognises every farm is different,” says Charlotte Garbutt, who runs Edworth Manor Farm. “It gives us clear guidance on pladis' vision for sustainable wheat sourcing, but it also gives me the flexibility to prioritise what works best for my land and my business.

“My family has farmed this land for 230 years and I want it to continue for generations to come, so taking care of the soil that produces our crops is what matters most to me. Back to Farm recognises and supports the work that goes into growing wheat, not just the final product, helping to ensure farms like ours can keep producing quality crops into the future.”

“Building a sustainable future is a shared responsibility,” concludes Jennifer Parise. “We know farmers are interested in regenerative farming, but adopting or increasing these practices requires support, as farm businesses adapt to a changing agricultural policy landscape. With Back to Farm, we hope to build stronger partnerships with growers, helping them address challenges and making regenerative farming practices supporting food production more accessible in the future.”

Hear directly from farmers Charlotte Garbutt and Ellie Hay about their experience of the Back to Farm programme:

Ellie Hay farms at Barton Place Farms in Bury St. Edmunds and values the Back to Farm programme and good farming practices it supports. Here Ellie is pictured with Frontier farm trader, Lee Glacken (left) who helps facilitate her participation in the programme, as well as Frontier sustainability commercial advisor, Hollie Lister, (right) who supports with the programme’s delivery.

More information about the campaign can be found on the pladis website.