Farming News - Cefetra and SoilPoint Launch Pioneering Soil Health Initiative in the UK
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Cefetra and SoilPoint Launch Pioneering Soil Health Initiative in the UK
Initiative will see up to 36 UK farmers replace nitrate fertiliser with SoilPoint's Soil Booster to restore depleted topsoil, support yields, and cut carbon emissions.
SoilPoint, the developer of SoilPoint Soil Booster, and Cefetra Ltd, the leading agricultural supply chain manager, have launched a pioneering new soil health initiative in the UK.
Starting this month, the SoilPoint Soil Booster programme will see up to 36 farmers, selected by Cefetra, replace a proportion of synthetic fertilisers currently used on their land with SoilPoint's innovative Soil Booster.
SoilPoint's Soil Booster is a UK Soil Association-certified soil conditioner, developed to help farmers restore depleted topsoil, support crop yields, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by improving overall soil health.
The initiative follows successful independent testing of SoilPoint Soil Booster and will run for a full crop cycle. Cefetra and SoilPoint will work directly with farmers to measure the impact of Soil Booster on:
- Yields and crop quality
- Soil health and nutrient availability
- Carbon emissions and sequestration potential
Farmers participating in the initiative will be selected by Cefetra, based on their commitment to adopting regenerative approaches to soil management. The initiative also forms a key part of Cefetra Ecosystem Services, aimed at supporting growers in transitioning to more sustainable, resilient farming systems.
Delivering on Regenerative and Low-Carbon Farming Goals
This programme marks the first phase of a long-term commercial partnership, through which Cefetra will offer SoilPoint's Soil Booster to UK farmers as part of its product portfolio. The partnership reflects Cefetra Ecosystem Services' mission to enable the supply of reduced-carbon grains and promote 'Just Good Practice' soil management.
SoilPoint Soil Booster is a humic-based product that mirrors natural soil formation processes. Using a proprietary method, SoilPoint extracts and preserves 87 essential minerals, vitamins, anti-toxicants, and fatty acids from lignite rock deposits to produce a humus-based soil conditioner, replicating the fundamental building blocks of healthy topsoil, critical for productive farming.
Global trials, including studies in the UK, have shown that Soil Booster can:
- Support improved crop performance across diverse crop types (including wheat, barley, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables)
- Enhance fertiliser efficiency and plant nutrition
- Reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers and chemicals
- Increase carbon sequestration in soil and biomass
- Accelerate the natural regeneration of topsoil, essential for long-term farm sustainability
Addressing the UK's Soil Health Challenge
Alan Forrester, CEO of SoilPoint, commented:
"Our data suggests that, if the UK continues to lose soil at current rates, it may face significant threats to future harvests. SoilPoint Soil Booster offers a natural and proven way to rejuvenate soils, supporting productivity and environmental improvements at the same time.
We are delighted to partner with Cefetra and the first 36 farmers in this initiative. Together, we are showing that better soils and reduced nitrogen use can go hand in hand with maintaining productive and profitable farming, which is essential for the future of UK agriculture."
Cefetra's Commitment to Practical, Scalable Solutions
Simon Borthwick, Head of Grain Origination at Cefetra, said:
"Through Cefetra Ecosystem Services, we are committed to helping farmers adopt scalable, practical solutions that deliver real value on-farm. Improving soil health is fundamental to building more resilient farming systems, but it must also make commercial sense for growers.
SoilPoint's Soil Booster is a product we believe can form part of that solution, offering a way to reduce nitrogen use, enhance soil function, and support long-term productivity. This initiative is about giving farmers access to a natural input that works alongside their existing practices, helping them maintain and improve yield, quality, and gross margins, while supporting the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
We are genuinely pleased and excited to be collaborating with SoilPoint on this important initiative, which directly supports our shared vision of building a sustainable, resilient, and productive agricultural future for UK farmers."