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Supermarkets are struggling with food emissions

Madre Brava's UK director on why farm-level change is too slow and too small to hit near-term retail targets.

By Carbon3 team1 min read

Cover of the Food & Farming Industry 2026 Outlook by C3: an aerial photograph of green farm fields beside the title page.

“Supermarkets have made some inroads on climate, with things like transport and electricity in stores. But when it comes to food - by far the biggest source of emissions - they’re struggling." - Sara Ayech, Madre Brava’s UK Director.

"Many supermarkets are relying on their producers to adopt greener practices, but by 2030 this is likely to deliver only a small proportion of the cuts needed and could require roughly £150 million in capital investment from retailers."

"While important for the long term, farm-level changes are too slow, too small, and too expensive to hit near-term targets compared to changing the product mix on the shelves."

These realities is exactly what Carbon3 helps solve for the entire value chain. Read more in our 2026 Agriculture & Food Outlook

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Originally published on LinkedIn, 6 July 2026.

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