State of Nature
Today has seen the launch of the State of Nature report with input from 25 conservation organisations. This report gives a health-check on UK wildlife, revealing a decline in populations of 60% of the species studied.
Caroline Drummond, LEAF Chief Executive, commented on the report:
“The bringing together of this work highlights the challenges we face in respecting and improving the environment. At LEAF we are proud of the work done voluntarily on many of our member’s farms across the UK. Farmland has an important role to play in nature conservation. We are as certain today as 22 years ago when LEAF began, that through Integrated Farm Management, farmers can make a significant positive impact on wildlife populations at the same time as producing quality food as demonstrated through the LEAF Marque farm assurance scheme.”
We believe that an Integrated Farm Management approach to farming will aid the turnaround of many of these declines. Martin Harper, RSPB’s Conservation Director, has challenged landowners to manage their land with wildlife in mind. We know there are many farmers meeting this challenge already, but we can all do more for nature and we will continue to work with our farmers in taking forward the balance of producing quality food with care and consideration for the environment.
In a survey we conducted last year amongst LEAF members, over 80% felt their farm business was more environmentally sustainable than five years ago. This survey, alongside farm practices data from the LEAF Audit, came together in our report ‘LEAF – Driving Sustainability’.
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