Waitrose Duchy Organic funds good causes

On the 30th anniversary of Waitrose Duchy Organic, we celebrate the brand values - good food, good farming, good causes - as we throw a right royal party for the Coronation! We continue to draw inspiration from our Founder, King Charles III's values of harmony and sustainability as we support good causes across the UK, the Commonwealth and Internationally.

Since 2009, Waitrose Duchy Organic has generated over £40m for The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF) enabling the provision of grants to a wide range of initiatives and projects within our core funding themes – countryside, environment, education, health and wellbeing, social inclusion as well as heritage and conservation.

Waitrose Duchy Organic was founded by HM King Charles III with its first product, a biscuit made from wheats and oats grown organically on the Home Farm at Highgrove. The Duchy Organics range has grown to become the UK’s largest own-label organic food and drink brand and includes more than 300 products!

PWCF supports numerous charitable causes, including The Prince’s Countryside Fund, which works to secure a sustainable future for those who live and work in the British countryside. PCF has invested over £2m in farm support groups while creating a real future for rural Britain.

Over the last decade, PWCF has awarded more than £4m to Innovative Farmers – a network of farmers and growers running on-farm trials which was founded in partnership with Waitrose. This year, we supported a new field lab aiming to revolutionise grass management by using data from space to boost productivity and sustainability. The PASTORAL (Pasture Optimisation for Resilience and Livelihoods) project will connect farmers with digital experts at the University of Edinburgh and consultants at Environment Systems to help monitor pasture growth and quality.

The annual income from Waitrose Duchy Organic also helps us to support more than 100 community organisations with small grants towards vital projects in disadvantaged communities

In inner-city Leeds, the Meanwood Market Garden provides fruit and vegetables from its 2-acre garden and directly addresses the food needs of its community whilst drastically reducing food miles and waste. It has painstakingly restored the market garden towards full productivity with its adults with learning disabilities and volunteers – all community-minded growers. The fresh, chemical-free produce is used in the onsite café and low-cost farm shop, and any leftovers go to a local waste food café to feed the most vulnerable. Over 10,000 people benefit from engaging with the Meanwood Valley Urban Farm each year.

We are grateful to Waitrose customers for supporting the Duchy Organic brand and enabling PWCF to transform lives and build sustainable communities.

Learn more about our partnership with Waitrose here, and discover more projects we’ve supported here.