A group of leading arable and mixed farmers is being positioned at the forefront of the UK’s shift towards home-grown, sustainable protein, as a new delivery model is launched to turn ambition into action.

At the From Soya to Sustainability conference in Peterborough, which took place on Wednesday, 28 January, organisers announced the creation of Pioneer Pods – small, focused groups of farmers drawn from the Nitrogen Climate Smart (NCS) project’s Pulse Pioneers. These farmers are working together to accelerate the adoption of pulses in arable rotations and strengthen routes to market for UK-grown protein crops.

The move is designed to provide a practical delivery mechanism for the NFU Sustainable Proteins Plan, which calls for a major expansion in pulse cropping to improve farm resilience, cut reliance on imported soya and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across UK agriculture.

The Pulse Pioneers, around 30 commercial growers involved in the PGRO-led NCS project, have already demonstrated what is possible. They are among growers involved in independent benchmarking through ADAS YEN, which shows they are achieving pulse yields around 1t/ha higher than national averages. Early rotational data from Pulse Pioneer trials point to improvements in nitrogen supply and following-crop performance.

“These are not trial-plot results – this is evidence from commercial farms, across different soils and systems,” said Tom Allen-Stevens, founder and managing director of the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN). “The question now is not whether pulses can deliver, but how we scale that performance and connect it to markets. Pioneer Pods are about doing exactly that.”

Analysis led by ADAS within the NCS project has shown that while there is no single ‘silver bullet’ input to transform pulse performance, system-level learning – around establishment, nutrition, crop protection and rotation design – delivers consistent gains when shared and applied at scale.

The Pioneer Pod model builds on that insight. Each pod will bring together a small number of Pulse Pioneers working on similar challenges or opportunities, such as improving yield stability, optimising nitrogen supply to following crops, or supplying consistent volumes of high-quality pulses into feed and food markets.

By pooling data, aligning on-farm trials and working directly with supply-chain partners, the pods are intended to shorten the gap between on-farm innovation and commercial uptake.

“The NFU plan is clear that pulses can deliver productivity, resilience and environmental benefits, but only if farmers are supported to manage risk and if supply chains commit alongside them,” said Tom Allen-Stevens. “Pioneer Pods are where those conversations become practical.”

With pulses identified as a key lever for reducing fertiliser use, improving soil health and cutting agricultural emissions, delegates at the FSTS2026 conference agreed that the challenge now lies in delivery rather than direction.

“The evidence is building, the policy intent is clear, and now the structures are starting to fall into place,” said Tom Allen-Stevens. “The Pulse Pioneers have shown what’s possible. Pioneer Pods are about turning that potential into something that works for farmers, supply chains and the wider industry.”

The Pioneer Pods will begin forming during 2026, with opportunities for additional farmers and supply-chain partners to engage as the model develops.

Further information

From Soya to Sustainability is organised by partners in the NCS Project.

Nitrogen Efficient Plants for Climate Smart Arable Cropping Systems (NCS) is a four-year £5.9M research programme involving 200 UK farms and 17 partners.

The project aims to bring about a reduction of 3.4Mt CO₂e per annum or 54% of the maximum potential for UK agriculture through increasing pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20% across the UK and replacing 50% of imported soya meal used in livestock feed rations with home-grown legumes.

The project is steered by science and proven by real farm enterprises, with significant benefits for both crop and livestock productivity, including cost savings of over £1bn/yr.

PGRO (Processors and Growers Research Organisation) leads the consortium that includes AB Agri, ADAS, Agrii, BOFIN (British On-Farm Innovation Network), Cranfield University, Farm Carbon Toolkit, Firstmilk, GWCT (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust), The James Hutton Institute, Kelvin Cave, LC Beef Nutrition, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), McArthur BDC, PBL Technology, SRUC and Wessex Water.

The NCS Project is funded by the Farming Futures R&D Fund: Climate smart farming, part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme. Defra are working in partnership with Innovate UK who are delivering the programme. Project number: 10043778

Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. It supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions, helping businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services. ukri.org 

Farmers are encouraged to join the PulsePEP community, a platform and knowledge exchange hub. For more, visit ncsproject.co.uk