Waitrose is to lead the delivery of a major investment in doctoral training by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), in a bid to help boost food security and sustainability.
The supermarket is leading a consortiumof academic partners, including Lancaster University, The University of Warwick,The University of Readingand the agricultural research station Rothamsted Research to manage this work.
The research will also involve working in partnership with the Waitrose Agronomy Group, which is made up of key fruit and vegetable suppliers.
Projects are expected to focus on key areas for Waitrose and its growers, such as soil health, biodiversity, sustainable water use, reducing crop waste and minimising chemical use during the cultivation of produce. Candidates carrying out the work will be selected over the next three years.
The cash is a share of a total of £19 million awarded to support world-class industry-led doctoral training. In total this investment will train and develop 189 PhD students to produce skilled people for the research base and build capability in the UK workforce.
Alan Wilson, Waitrose’s technical manger for fresh produce, said: “Waitrose is delighted to have been appointed a lead organisation for thisindustry-led collaborative training programme. Our evidence shows that there is a clear need to provide new thinking to address the challenges involved in delivering a more secure and sustainable food system. This has the potential to really make a difference in changing how produce is cultivated in the future.”
