LEAF Launches New Report - 'LEAF Driving Sustainability'

Sustainability is high on the agenda for the food industry, but many companies are not actively monitoring or measuring the sustainability of the ingredients and products they source. These findings come from a new report, Driving Sustainability, from LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)

The report, which surveyed nearly 1,000 representatives from across the food industry, showed that while 82 per cent of respondents agree sustainability is very important to their company, one in five (19 per cent) do not monitor the sustainability of food products they source.

The report was launched at the International Food and Drink Event 2013 where we had a panel discussion on the subject of measuring sustainability. The videos are available to view here.

Download the report here

LEAF Launches Simply Sustainable Water

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), in association with ASDA and Molson Coors Brewing Company, has today (22nd January) launched its ‘Simply Sustainable Water’ initiative with a free online resource for farmers.

Following five years of extreme weather patterns, combined with a rapidly expanding world population, it is now recognised that farmers must manage water resources much more sustainably.

In the video above, Jake Freestone, Farm Manager at Overbury Farms, talks us through the 'six simple steps for managing water quality and use on your land' outlined in 'Simply Sustainable Water'.

For more information and to download a copy of Simply Sustainable Water' please click here.

LEAF's President's Event 2012: The Changing Faces of Sustainability

What will sustainable food systems look like in the future? What lessons can we learn from the past?

These are some of the issues we explored at LEAF’s President’s Event on 14th November 2012. We enjoyed a wide range of speakers including keynote speaker, Professor Charles Godfray, who spoke on food security and sustainable intensification. You can read a full report on the day on our blog here.

LEAF announces new partnership with Unilever

Unilever has committed to work with sustainable agriculture charity LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) and ADM to increase its use of LEAF Marque certified oilseed rape. The LEAF Marque gives consumers an easy-to-spot symbol that indicates that the oilseed rape within a product has been sourced sustainably, to high environmental standards.

This new partnership will contribute to Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan which requires all of its oilseed rape to be sustainably sourced by 2020. Through the collaboration, LEAF, ADM and Unilever will be finding ways of working together to increase the number of UK farmers achieving LEAF Marque certification for the benefit of the environment and consumers. ADM Direct will issue contracts to UK farmers for 2012 initially and will then seek to increase the amount of LEAF Marque oilseed rape sourced from the farmers over the next three years.

Read the full press release here.

AtlasFram joins LEAF

AtlasFram, one of the UK’s largest farmer owned cooperatives has joined LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming). AtlasFram which has an annual turnover of £168 million is now encouraging its 1250 farmers to become members and gain LEAF Marque certification. The LEAF Marque logo is widely recognised as the leading environmental food label, and a key reason why AtlasFram has elected to join LEAF.

AtlasFram’s farmer members will have access to the services of Suffolk FWAG to help them with this process, including the completion of the LEAF Audit. Suffolk FWAG, (which joined AtlasFram in January and is also a LEAF advisor), will work with farmers to help them implement LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management (IFM) principles, on which LEAF Marque is based.

Click here to read the full press release.

LEAF’s Demonstration Farm Network Expands

LEAF’s (Linking Environment And Farming) UK wide network of Demonstration Farms is to increase, with the launch of two new farms this month.

They join over 40 Demonstration Farms which are centres of excellence for sustainable farming and demonstrate the principles of LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management. They are selected against stringent criteria and host visits throughout the year to a wide range of invited groups including farmers, teachers, government officials and the media. Read the full press release here or watch the video below.

Practical Measures for Improving Water Quality - New videos available!

Following our Practical Measures for Improving Water Quality events at Midloe Grange Farm in Cambridgeshire (22nd March) and Stratton Farms in Somerset (28th March), videos filmed at the events are now available.

The videos, supported by Catchment Sensitive Farming, look at ways of improving how your farming practices impact water quality. Including:

• Background information from Catchment Sensitive Farming on some of the issues of diffuse water pollution from agriculture through surface run-off
• Interviews with LEAF Demonstration Farmers, David Felce and Jeremy Padfield, on the measures they have put in place on their farms to mitigate surface run-off

The videos are available below and on LEAF's YouTube channel - subscribe to be the first to see LEAF's new videos!

Florette goes green with LEAF

The UK’s leading salad brand, Florette, will soon be displaying the LEAF Marque logo on over 60 million salad bags, demonstrating to its customers that they have been produced to high standards of environmental care.

From the 9th April 2012, the LEAF Marque logo - the leading environmental food label - will be placed on the front and back of packs of Florette’s biggest selling bagged salads, Crispy and Mixed. This will be followed by a roll out of the LEAF Marque on pack across the whole range by 2013. Read the full press release.

LEAF Marque acknowledged by Government as the Environmental Food Production Standard of choice

The LEAF Marque has been recognised in Defra’s recently released plans for new standards of food procurement across all Government departments and agencies. The LEAF Marque is cited as a solution within the new standards as one of the ways the Government can meet its new sustainability targets.

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), a membership organisation at the forefront of sustainable agriculture, has championed Integrated Farm Management (IFM) since 1991. IFM looks at the whole farm, enabling farmers from all sectors to achieve high productivity with low environmental impact and is the key principle behind the LEAF Marque. Farmers certified by the LEAF Marque, farm to the highest standards of environmental care. They take measures to save fuel, reduce energy use, manage water efficiently and enhance biodiversity. The fact that the Government has identified the LEAF Marque as the environmental food production standard of choice, enforces LEAF Marque as a clear way for farmers from all sectors to demonstrate their environmental credentials. Read the full press release here.

LEAF’s statement on the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) research funded by Defra

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) welcomes the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) funded by Defra. It shows that farmers who manage 75% of the land in the UK are vital in the delivery of more than just food and that the natural environment contributes to the economic and social prosperity of the countryside. Read our full statement on our blog

Farmers Get a Helping Hand to Improve Their Soil

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) in partnership with Asda today launched a new guide to help farmers improve the long term sustainability of their soil.

'Simply Sustainable Soils' is a practical, hands-on guide offering farmers six simple steps to improve the performance, health and long term sustainability of their land. Looking at soil texture, structure, drainage and compaction through to nutrients and biological health, the guide helps farmers to get the best out of their soil and monitor changes in soil health. Read the full press release

Sodexo Flies the LEAF Flag!

LEAF (Linking Farming And Environment) is delighted to announce that Sodexo, a leading provider of on-site service solutions, has joined LEAF as a corporate member, the first of its kind from the food and facilities management sector.

Michelle Hanson, Commercial Director, Sodexo UK and Ireland, said: "Sodexo is excited about becoming a corporate partner of LEAF, which has done a tremendous amount over the past two decades to advocate, demonstrate and audit sustainable agricultural practices. I believe that Sodexo and LEAF share the same values in terms of being committed to sustainability and a spirit of continual progress. Read the full press release

LEAF Adds Value

A new independent report published on 16th November 2010, shows that LEAF membership offers clear, tangible and valuable benefits to farmers.

The study, commissioned by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) was carried out by CCRI (Countryside and Community Research Institute) and examined the wide range of services that members receive and their impacts on farm businesses.  Click here to read the press release, download the report and the summary.

The study identified three main areas where farmers benefit from LEAF membership: financial, environmental and social. Dr Janet Dwyer from CCRI who led the research says there are many ways in which farmers profit. “LEAF membership had enabled the farmers whom we interviewed to save money in several ways - such as by improving energy efficiency and reducing their use of chemicals and fertilisers, without compromising output. But the value of LEAF goes much further than the pure financial, with the majority of farmers also highlighting the social benefits and increased confidence that membership brings. Farmers also reported increased awareness of the environment on their farms, which in turn had helped them to improve biodiversity, soil structure and water quality."

Work for LEAF

LEAF is seeking to appoint an experienced, highly motivated and dynamic Operations Manager, based at our head office at Stoneleigh Park.

We are looking for a pro-active and innovative person who has a proven track-record of excellent strategic financial, operational, IT and human resource management. In this new role, the Operations Manager will be expected to have a high level of business acumen to ensure the smooth running of this small and effective Charity. The successful candidate will be a critical member of the LEAF team and applications are invited from experienced and well-qualified professionals with excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills.

Download the job description here. To apply please send a covering letter and CV to justine.hards@leafuk.org. Application deadline: Friday 17th May 2013.

21 Years of Linking Environment And Farming

LEAF is pleased to present a new book '21 Years of Linking Environment And Farming: Past reflections, future directions'.

The book charts the organisation's 21 years history and outlines future directions, whilst featuring quotes from some of LEAF's supporters. The book is available to download for free here. Our grateful thanks to Sodexo for kindly supporting the production of this book.

Overbury Farms Launched as the latest LEAF Demonstration Farm

Overbury Farms have been launched as the latest new addition to the LEAF Demonstration Farm Network.

Launched on 11th October 2012, it will play an important role in hosting visits to farmers, community groups, conservation organisations and local schools, to show how they are combining commercial farming with the highest standards of agricultural best practice and environmental care.

Caroline Drummond, LEAF Chief Executive, and Jake Freestone, Farm Manager at Overbury Farms, talk on the launch in the video below

'Sustainable Lamb' Now Available

Ahead of Livestock 2012, we have produced a new newsletter supplement which will be available from our stand at the event (BM - 198). 

The supplement includes farmer case studies and a range of articles from industry leaders. The case studies highlight ways in which LEAF’s IFM can benefit lamb farmers, which  include helping to reduce forage and feeding costs and increase production of grass fed lambs, through the management and composition of grazing swards and growing of other fodder crops. You can download Sustainable Lamb below in PDF and ePub formats for ease of viewing on iPhone, iPad and other compatible devices.

LEAF Technical Field Days

Equipping farmers with the practical skills and know how to help them adopt more sustainable farming practices is one of LEAF’s core aims. 

Our Technical Field Events aim to do just this - bring farmers closer to the latest science and current thinking in sustainable farming, look at how it can be adopted at farm level and enable farmers to meet with some of the industry’s leading experts.

This year's events were a great success, you can read the thoughts of Stephen Fell, LEAF's Chairman, on our blog here, and see some photographs from one event here.

Let Nature Feed Your Senses Animate It Competition!

Get creative and 'Animate It' by taking part in the Let Nature Feed Your Senses animation competition.

Be inspired by Shaun the Sheep and his farm friends to animate the nature, food and farming sounds we've collected. Golly Starzak, the Creative Director and mastermind behind Shaun the Sheep, is our judge! Closing date Friday 22nd June 2012. See the Let Nature Feed Your Senses website for more details.

LEAF Marque Global Standard consultation

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is calling for the wider food and farming industry to have their say in the future development of its LEAF Marque Global Standard.

LEAF, the leading environmental farming charity, is embarking on a two phase consultation of its LEAF Marque Global Standard. LEAF Marque is a global food standard which shows that food has been produced to the highest standards of environmental care. It is a higher level scheme that builds upon the ‘foundation’ assurance schemes such Red Tractor Farm Assurance and GLOBALGAP. Read the full press release

Accolade for LEAF Farmer!

Rob Kynaston has been named the winner of the RSPB Midlands Nature of Farming Award, recognising farmers who are ambassadors for wildlife in the farming community.

Producing great food with a passion for wildlife and the countryside has always been at the heart of Rob Kynaston’s approach to farming. “I am unashamedly a proud custodian of the countryside” explains Rob “for me, conservation and farming go hand in hand. It’s all about looking at the whole farm and taking an integrated approach, from the way we look after our soil, our rotations, fertiliser use through to managing specific areas of the farm for wildlife.”

Read the full story on LEAF's blog.

Dairy: A Green Future

Newsletter supplement now available!

We’ve been working with many partners in the dairy industry for a number of years and now, with discussions on where the industry will be in 2020. Amidst all the talk on milk prices and adding value we need to look to the future of dairy farming and it’s implications for sustainability. Download the full supplement.

Find out what can LEAF do for your business

– visit us on stand BM224 at the Dairy Event

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) have issued an open invitation to livestock farmers visiting the Dairy Event, to come and find out why LEAF is relevant to their business. On the LEAF stand (no BM224), there will be experts on hand to explain how LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management (IFM), can help farmers manage valuable resources such soil and water

Attitudes and Behaviours around Sustainable Food Purchasing

A  Defra report looking at attitudes and behaviours around sustainable food purchasing compares people’s attitudes to sustainability issues, their responses to questions about actively seeking to buy sustainable food and their actual food purchases over a twelve month period. Download the full report.

Findings from the 12-month Defra funded research project into food purchases show that:

• More than two thirds of people consider buying British produce important and almost three quarters look to buy British fruit and vegetables;
• More than three quarters of people think animal welfare is important but only two thirds seek out free range eggs and only half try to buy free range chicken;
• 70 per cent of people say buying sustainable fish is important but only 30 per cent say that they do so;
• Almost two thirds of people say that buying ethical products is important, and 30 per cent seek out Fairtrade tea and coffee; and
• The same number of people who think it’s important to buy healthy produce say they do so – 80 per cent of people.

This is why LEAF Marque is an important tool for farmers, the food chain and consumers in delivering more sustainable food.

Today, 4th April 2011, a partnership of agriculture industry organisations, including LEAF, launches its commitment to achieving a voluntary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Agricultural Industry is required to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year by the Carbon Budget period 2018-2022. LEAF is part of the partnership of organisations committed to working towards achieving this goal in a voluntary way without compromising production.

A reduction in GHG emissions can be effectively achieved through Integrated Farm Management (IFM). The LEAF management tools which help farmers implement IFM - the LEAF Audit, LEAF Marque and the LEAF Green Box - are key resources in the development of increasingly profitable, efficient and sustainable food production which will inherently help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information please see the press release  and the full GHG Action Plan document
 

LEAF Leads The Way

A new study out this week shows that an assurance scheme developed by a LEAF, an agricultural charity, is leading the way in the environmental labelling of food.

The research evaluated a number of schemes and compared how they help to protect the environment. It found that whilst LEAF Marque, run by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), scored the highest marks across a range of criteria, other better known schemes actually scored significantly less in some important areas.  Read the full report, the press release and the research update brief

LEAF Members Come Out on Top at Farmers Weekly Awards

LEAF members won two of the award categories at last night’s prestigious Farmers Weekly Awards.

Husband and wife team, Peter and Hilary Cochran, who run their farm shop business at Knowes in East Lothian, were named as Local Food Farmers of the Year. They were recognised for their passion for farming, their commitment to growing local food and the sense of community attached to their farm shop. More.

Andrew Rees scooped the Young Farmer of the Year Award. 31 year old Andrew successfully runs Gaulby Lodge Farm in Kings Norton, Leicestershire, in partnership with his father. His industry leadership, knowledge and enthusiasm helped him to stand out. More.

“On behalf of the LEAF team, we would like to congratulate Andrew, Peter and Hilary on their achievements” said LEAF Chief Executive, Caroline Drummond. They are excellent ambassadors for LEAF as well as the farming industry. Their commitment to running profitable farming businesses alongside environmental care and community involvement is exemplary.”

LEAF Marque: Helping caterers to realise the opportunities of the London 2012 Food Vision

Sustainability lies at the very heart of the Food Vision for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It calls for catering that delivers a tastier, healthier and greener Games. Companies tendering for catering contracts will need to demonstrate how specific benchmark standards and aspirational targets will be achieved and that they are building sustainability into their businesses. The LEAF Marque is one of the official aspirational standards for product sourcing and affords caterers the opportunity to meet many of the core objectives of the London 2012 Food Vision.  To source LEAF Marque produce see the Supply Chain Directory web page

Click here for the full press release

Find where to buy LEAF Marque Produce

LEAF has a Supply Chain Directory where buyers can access who produces and who is selling LEAF Marque food.  The directory allows the user to search by crop, postcode or name and by business type such as packer processor or retailer.  To obtain access you first need a user account in myLEAF and then apply for access in Service upgrades.  For more information see Supply Chain Directory page