Coca Cola GB case study: Water

The project works in two river catchments in East Anglia, which include some of the UK’s most precious wildlife habitats and rivers. However, most rivers in the area are failing to meet good ecological status due to pllution from agricultural production and over-abstraction.

Through farm visits, meetings and events with a range of stakeholders, the partnership has engaged with over 2,500 farmers to improve the way they manage their land and reduce the impacts of production on the freshwater environment. Bespoke farm plans have been made for over 135 farms and practical measures such as installing silt-traps, using cover crops, and emplying buffer stips have helped to replenish water and improve water quality.

Using their work to showcase good practice, the partnership demonstrates and encourages collective action between the ‘golden triangle’ of civil society, business and government. Their work has instigated an upscaling of water stewardship across East Anglia and nationally. Within the Catchment Based Appraoch, they have established the Water Stewardship Service which helps businesses work together to deliver sustainable solutions for water, accelerating the change required to restore the UK’s rivers. In partnership, they have:

• Replenished over 1.2 billion litres of water and developed innovative ways of farming (e.g. working with the University of East Anglia)
• Around 1,000ha of land is now farmed more sustainably with improved soil and water quality
• Talked to Government to showcase water stewardship in action and to influence positive policy change
• Helped establish a community-led approach, engaging a wide variety of local stakeholders to improve water environments

For more information watch this short film.

View Ambition 2025 Progress Report 2018