Tilda Basmati Sustainability Programme (TBSP)

Tilda transformed basmati rice cultivation in our upstream supply chain by scaling Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), input optimisation and integrated pest management across thousands of farms, supported by extension advice, practical equipment and rigorous annual measurement comparing programme farms with traditional baselines to quantify Scope 3 reductions.

Tilda overcame farmer concerns about yield risk and changing long-established flooding practices, plus the challenge of proving impact credibly at scale. Trust was built through voluntary participation, practical on-farm support, listening to farmer feedback and employing independent, science-led measurement to demonstrate real benefits and drive adoption.

By 2025 TBSP reached 3,840 farms (15,314ha), covering 87% of Tilda brand basmati. Between 2023-2025 our programme saved an average of 22.7m kg CO₂e per year, 36.9bn litres of water and 5.64m kWh of electricity, while increasing production 6.9% and income 7.5%.

Thousands of basmati farmers in northern India, Tilda procurement and sustainability teams, field extension advisors and agronomists, plus external experts and research partners (including University of Cambridge Crop Science Centre) supporting measurement, verification and innovation such as bio-fertiliser/soil fungi research to reduce synthetic fertiliser reliance.

TBSP is now embedded in our sourcing, with ongoing extension support and annual benchmarking. Next steps will focus on making even deeper emissions cuts by addressing nitrous oxide through bio‑fertiliser/soil health research, and we are aiming for scalable roll‑out from the 2027 crop year.