The makers of Ribena have joined forces with Norfolk farmers and scientists to find greener ways to grow blackcurrants for the famous fruit drink.

The Suntory Beverage and Food group is collaborating with the University of East Anglia and the Soil Ecology Laboratory, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost soil health through regenerative farming practices.

The three-year research project will take place across much of the 60 hectares of blackcurrant production at Gorgate Farm in Hoe, near Dereham, which has been growing berries for Ribena since the 1950s.

Rosie Begg, a second-generation blackcurrant grower and research lead at the farm, said: "Challenging climatic and economic conditions over the past few growing seasons have inspired me to investigate, and start to adopt, regenerative farming practices that will allow us to grow sustainably as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"It’s thrilling to be able to bring in national experts and researchers to support this ambition and to be so supported by our customer.

"Collaborating with Suntory’s global team will enable us to share our learnings and learn from regenerative projects all over the world."

READ MORE: New Ribena berries harvested after 20 years of climate research

The project will include sap sampling to understand plant nutrition, using new organic inputs to replace conventional fertilisers and chemicals, creating diverse "alleyway swards" to feed the soil, and using compost extracts to restore soil microbiology.

Suntory agronomist Harriet Prosser said: "This project represents a real shift away from more conventional practices.

"The principles are backed by credible science but have yet to be commercially tested in more mainstream perennial fruit systems. The aim is to produce quality data that will enable us to scale up these principals to the wider industry."

Brian Reid, professor of soil science at the UEA, said the "incredibly exciting" collaboration offered a "real-world opportunity" to apply new approaches pioneered by the university to assess the relationships between soil carbon and soil biodiversity - and to "quantify the benefits of regenerative agriculture interventions".