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Knowledge Hub Biodiversity

Beneficial Insects and Pesticide Use

Our fresh fruit and vegetables are grown in fields, vineyards, orchards and greenhouses. Morrisons and our growers are committed to the environment and sustainability. It’s important to protect our environment and one of the important ways we do this includes encouraging beneficial insects, which are introduced to control pests that may otherwise damage crops. Doing this allows our growers to reduce the use of chemical pesticides to protect natural biodiversity. It’s rare, but if an insect is found in our fruit or vegetables, it can be removed by thoroughly washing it in cold water.

You can click here to see our policy on pesticide use.

Bee Friendly Farms

All Chippindale farmers, who produce many of the shell eggs we sell in our stores, are provided with a specially blended bee mixture to attract and maintain bumblebee populations, to sow into strips on land on their farms

The mixture include Phacelia which acts as a prolific flowering nurse crop whilst Red Clover and Sainfoin establish themselves. The Phacelia produces a fantastic display of purple flowers; it is possible to literally hear the mixture buzz with bees when in full bloom. Other varieties in the mix include Alsike Clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil. The mix is supplied in 5 kilo units for one acre of planting.

Charles Rook from R&J Farms is one of the farmers on this scheme:

“We drilled our first bee friendly mix over 5 years ago and have not regretted the decision since. The mix was easy to drill and established exceptionally well giving a diverse range of species and when flowered a vibrant array of colours and within the first year. Almost immediately we witnessed an increase in insect and bee activity and during the monthly bee walks we were able to identify 12 different species. Yesterday [April 2019] they saw a queen B lapidaries, a large mainly black bee with a red tail which was in very good condition.''

Eggs from these farms are now available as a product in our stores and online allowing customers to purchase eggs from hens to roam free in bee friendly woodlands with a natural diet of grains and foraged goodness, to create healthy, tasty golden yolks.