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Vitamin-rich tomatoes, climate-ready hemp and beans that help to reduce methane emissions from cows are among the farming projects that will receive a share of £21.5 million in funding, the Government has announced.
The Environment Department (Defra) said the money will back 15 initiatives across England aiming to develop research into tools that farmers can use to reduce planet-heating emissions and boost productivity.
Nearly £1 million will go to “Sunshine Tomato” – a project that uses precision breeding to create a tomato enriched with provitamin D3.
Another initiative aimed at replacing 50% of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers with greener alternatives, with the hopes of cutting nitrous oxide emissions and improving soil health, will receive nearly £1 million.
Work to develop climate-resilient industrial hemp that is better able to cope with changing conditions will also receive nearly £1 million.
And nearly £1.5 million will go to developing faba beans for cow feed, which can reduce methane and carbon emissions produced by the English dairy system.
Farming minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “Innovation is central to a more productive, resilient farming sector.
“This funding will back new ideas farmers can use on the ground to cut methane and fertiliser-related emissions, strengthen crop resilience, and improve nutrition.
“It’s part of our Plan for Change to support rural growth and long-term food security.”
Other projects to receive funding include an initiative to develop biochar-based fertilisers that can cut the carbon footprint of UK cereal production, and a circular approach to farming wetlands, which can help to reduce environmental impact while boosting productivity.
A project that seeks to scale a gene-edited solution to boost disease resilience in sugar beet will also receive funding, as will a technology that converts livestock manure into a nutrient-rich carbon-negative fertiliser.
The support is being delivered through Defra’s farming innovation programme in partnership with Innovate UK, which supports businesses to develop new products and services.
The projects were selected through two competitions launched in April 2025 under the programme’s farming futures fund – one focused on precision breeding and the other on low emissions farming.
It comes as part of wider Government efforts to invest at least £200 million in agri-innovation by 2030 under the modern industrial strategy pledge and builds on nearly £2.3 million that was already awarded to 30 projects in December.
Dr Stella Peace, managing director at Innovate UK, said: “Working alongside Defra, Innovate UK is ensuring precision breeding and low emission technologies move swiftly from research into real-world use, enabling farmers and agri businesses to grow, compete, and unlock new economic opportunities across the UK’s food and farming sector.”