With water shortage fears growing across the UK, companies are re-examining their production processes with a view to reduce the waste of this valuable global resource.

“Without a rapid, effective treatment option, liquid effluent can become a costly issue to tackle.” Says Jamie George, projects & business development director at Axium Process.

While effluent composition varies with the industry, it is usually composed of microplastics, fats, oils, grease and many other unsavoury particulates. Membrane filtration is able to selectively separate these suspended solids, leaving behind high-quality water that is immediately available for reuse in upstream or downstream processes.

Eliminating the need for damaging chemical flocculants, membrane filtration reduces the risk of damage to our rivers and waterways and could potentially reveal the presence of valuable materials that would otherwise be destroyed using alternative methods.

Jamie George states “Initial pilot trials on the feed material are carried out, either at our Swansea test facility, or at the manufacturer’s premises. These are instrumental in how we identify and adjust process parameters for optimal filtration results.”

Able to provide a reliable, cost-effective solution to reducing discharge volumes with the potential to recovering up to 90% of wastewater, membrane filtration is a tried-and-true solution for water recovery needs. Plants can be constructed in a variety of set-ups, from containerised units to small, compact systems that can be moved to other areas as needed and can also be designed with future expansion in mind.

Axium’s extensive expertise allows for the design and manufacture of crossflow membrane filtration solutions tailored for diverse applications, all while adhering to international regulations and maintaining the highest of hygienic standards.

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The fund, which opens later this month, is part of the Farming Investment Fund and offers grants for specific items of equipment to increase productivity, boost environmental sustainability and improve animal health and welfare. It is split into two themes- Productivity and Slurry (open later this month) and Animal Health and Welfare (available in March) and will offer grants of between £1,000 and £25,000.

Grants Guidance  

Defra has also provided guidance ahead of the grants opening to help farmers prepare ahead. This can be viewed at  gov.uk/guidance/farming-investment-fund.

Each item listed has a score assigned to it based on Defra’s assessment of how well it meets the scheme’s objectives. If the scheme is oversubscribed, Defra will allocate funding to those items with the highest score first. In the first round, those applying for a grant received approximately 44% of the total cost. The fund proved very popular, and was oversubscribed. Defra encourages anyone who was unsuccessful in the first round to apply again.

How to Apply  

There are two separate ‘portals’ to apply for each grant: Productivity and Slurry and Animal Health and Welfare.

When the application window opens, applicants can visit the online portal and answer questions about the grants they are applying for. The minimum grant is £1,000 per portal, so the minimum investment for those wishing to apply across both portals remains as it did in the first round. If successful, applicants can then buy the item. They can then claim the reimbursement using their receipt.

Expanding the list of items  

Additional items have been added to the list following a review of the first round of funding with farmers, vets, academics and industry groups.

As a result, Defra has added:

• 19 items to aid productivity
• Two items to help with better slurry management
• 66 items to support animal health and welfare

The grants to co-fund investment in equipment, technology and infrastructure that improve animal health and welfare are part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Defra will publish more information on this very soon.

Standard costs across all items have also been reviewed and grant rates adjusted accordingly.

The list of items for both grants can be found here:

Productivity and Slurry Grant

Animal Health and Welfare Grant

For more information, visit: defrafarming.blog.gov.uk

The post List of eligible equipment and guidance on Farming Equipment and Technology Fund released appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Ash argued that the negative terms often associated with farming are a distraction, and that there is a compelling argument for the whole supply chain to reconnect with farmers who will become increasingly important in the fight to feed people whilst protecting the planet. Claiming: “farmers are the people who can make the biggest impact on our journey to sustainable food production”, he talked about his confidence in the net zero journey Arla farmers are on and said that everyone in his audience – whether a food company, an industry supplier, an MP or a member of the public – should all be asking how they can help farmers accelerate the journey towards sustainable food production.

Sharing insight into Arla’s own sustainability journey, which has made its farmer owners among the most emission efficient in the world, Ash challenged every business in the sector to look first at what’s working well in their business, before identifying the best areas for change.

Stopping mid-speech to ask the audience to join him in a round of applause for all those who kept food flowing during the coronavirus pandemic, his timely reminder of the vital importance of the sector put into context the operational business challenges that sit alongside the bigger questions farmers and food companies are grappling with. These range from climate change, growing populations worldwide – to the opportunities and challenges of technological advances and changing consumer demands.

In speaking at the 21^st anniversary of the event, Ash stated, “Just as the City Food Lecture is coming of age, so too is our industry.” He said that it is time for the agricultural sector to tell Britain, “we’ve got this, but here’s how you can help.” This includes:

• Government – can deliver legislation that is consistent and joined up, addressing tomorrow’s challenges with a real sense of vision for British food that avoids a patchwork of sometimes contradictory measures that fail to recognise how intertwined our food systems are.
• The financial sector – needs to back farmers and recognise that on-farm is where the biggest game-changing moves can be made, and that investments, research and innovation need coordination in order to scale up change across Britain’s smaller farms
• The food and retail industries – need to reconnect, talk to and listen more to farmers – everyone in the industry should be seeking to understand how they can support change on farm by listening to those driving those changes.
• The public – need to recognise that balance in our farming systems is more complex than the removal of production of certain food types. If farmers are to go beyond making food to also increase biodiversity and support ways in which farming can reduce carbon, food prices will have to reflect this increased activity

The panel discussion that followed Amirahmadi’s lecture featured Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms; James Lloyd-Jones, founder and CEO of Jones Food Company and Fraser McKevitt, head of Retail & Consumer Insight at Kantar. It was chaired by Charlotte Smith, presenter on BBC1’s Countryfile and on Radio 4’s Farming Today.

Their comments ranged across key societal issues including the growing global population, increased demand for plant based protein and other nutrients, lab grown food, the impacts and the high levels of food wastage in the supply chain.

Importantly, the panel agreed that nutrition must be considered alongside carbon emissions if we are to reach a truly sustainable food system.

John Giles, chair of The City Food Lecture said, “There are a huge number of issues to consider, but amongst the key ones are how do we feed nine billion people in the world and how do we do this in a sustainable manner. There is also the role of new technology across the supply chain and the increased concerns over issues such as animal health and welfare, obesity, the opportunity from the opening up of new markets around the world and the development of today’s niche markets, which will become more mainstream over time.”

To help contribute to the future talent pool, an important part of The City Food Lecture is its Future Generation Forum student programme, where 150 university students from leading food and agricultural colleges and universities heard from both the keynote speaker and panel members on how they can play a vital role in these big industry developments, whatever career path they take in the food, drink and agricultural sectors.

The forum also included the  McDonalds Progressive Young Farmers Programme and a deep dive into the career roles at ABP Food, this year’s Future Generation Forum sponsor, amongst students from ten universities and colleges across the UK.

The post The City Food Lecture 2022 put farmers at the forefront of sustainability action appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Overall, I do wonder why anyone would get into the field. The hours are long, the pay is low, government bureaucracy only increases year by year, it is a dangerous job and the media tends towards demonising the industry, while demanding that it continue to protect the countryside that agriculture has formed over thousands of years.

But then you hear people like Clarkson (who supports his farm with the TV shows, farm shop and books) and the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen, who love their chosen jobs. Also, seeing the enthusiastic people at events run by the Society of Dairy Technology, who are at the food processors and along the supply chain.

Or, just people like myself, who enjoy dairy every day – for example, I just ate a beautiful piece of Dewlay traditional creamy Lancashire cheese with my apples and oat cakes. You can taste the terroir in it.

I suppose it’s why people get into the trade. They enjoy food and want to share it with others and dairy provides good, nutritious food at a reasonable cost. To help with this, more dairy processors of all stripes should be talking about their issues. Dairy UK and the AHDB has a website where people in the industry can get ideas and assistance with working with social media: www.tellitlikeitis.co.uk

They’re talking about us anyway, so we might as well get our thoughts in. Plus, any excuse to talk about the many good things, and there are recipes on the site as well. Might do a bit of macaroni and cheese tonight. #supportlocal

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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Ahead of COP26, the Rethink Farming report presents research with evidence from 18 case studies revealing how farmer-led innovation and nature-based solutions can positively impact farm businesses.

The report highlights practical on-farm action for restoring the natural environment so farming can weather the worst of increasing climate shocks. It argues how continued deterioration will continue to impact the livelihoods of farmers if the sector doesn’t transition to regenerative practices.

The report concludes how farming with nature can maximise returns, offer viability in changing markets, increase profitability through reduced inputs and ensure a more adaptable landscape.

After the launch of the Net Zero Strategy, the NFFN is calling for greater ambition from the Government in elevating the key role farming plays in delivery for net-zero and calls for greater action across farm holdings to prevent irreversible outcomes if the trajectory of climate change continues.

Martin Lines, chair, Nature Friendly Farming Network, says: “It’s in farmers’ best interests to start acting on climate change and nature recovery, so we are in a good place for maximising opportunities for funding for public goods, and further down the line, to capitalise on returns from private markets.

“We know that farming is contributing to ecological disruption. And the science is clear – we have 10 years to avoid the worst effects of the climate emergency. Simple solutions can have the greatest impacts in preparing farming for what’s to come.

“We have a moral obligation to act on this after decades of intensification have contributed to the challenges we face. It’s not just farmers, it’s everyone. What are we waiting for?”

The report also includes research of 726 of their public and farmer members, revealing overwhelming concern about how climate change and biodiversity loss will affect UK farmers. Public support calls for the sector to do more to address these twin challenges.

• Over nine in ten farmers (92%) are concerned about the effects of climate change on their business, with eight in 10 concerned about biodiversity loss.
• Nearly all (97%) of farmers think consumers need to be better educated about the value of natural assets on farms, including how successful management of natural capital is a public benefit.
• Over nine in ten think food labels should clearly identify production measures.
• Three quarters (71%) do not think the industry is currently equipped to deal with the challenges of climate and nature loss, at the same time as sustainably producing food.
• Over nine in ten people (98%) want farming to do more to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Over eight in ten farmers (88%) think the sector needs to be better encouraged to enter environmental schemes.

The research also reveals over eight in ten people (86%) want to support farmers who are creating wildlife habitats and restoring soil health. Six in ten want to support carbon storage (61%), improved water quality (64%) and high-welfare farming (66%). Over nine in ten (96%) want to see public money support farmers who are implementing restorative measures covering soil health, biodiversity, carbon-storing and water quality. Nearly all (96%) want environmental standards that mitigate climate and restore nature to be enshrined in law.

The report calls for mandatory labelling for both domestically produced and imported food, with a robust and transparent labelling regime that promotes traceability and encourages the adoption of climate-friendly farming through consumer-led incentive.

Other key recommendations to UK Government include preventing the import of commodities linked to deforestation or conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems and a review of existing policies with a focus on developing sustainable food systems and shortening supply chains.

The report is endorsed by leading environmental organisations including the Soil Association, Plantlife, Woodland Trust, RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, Woodland Trust and more. Sustain, Farm Wildlife and the James Hutton Institute have also contributed to the report with supporting statements.

The post Greater action required for UK farming, warns Nature Friendly Farming Network appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

As Vyla envisioned a solution to connect the supply chain better and increase collaboration in the sector, it partnered with Octobot for the development process due to the software company’s experience developing custom solutions for dairy businesses.

Ascend analyses the most essential barn and animal metrics and has a high level of customisation, sharing, and preference features. Users can select and edit metrics through customisable widgets, and the data can be shared, aggregated, and assigned in tasks to other team members. All dairy industry players can address persisting issues such as the livelihood of herds and nutrition value of dairy products through automating work processes.

First developed in Design Sprint and having met their time to market in four months, Vyla and Octobot continued to work together in furthering product improvements and advancing the application. The collaboration has been a long-term, innovative project providing an opportunity for the parties to evolve their knowledge about app development and the dairy sector in general.

“It has been great to follow the hard work and commitment of the team between Vyla and Octobot the last year, and now we can see the results materialized in the launch event. Companies like Vyla are equipping the dairy business with products like Ascend to optimise operations serving the dairy industry and farming as a whole. It shows that technologies can help track processes, provide insights to clients, thus supplement existing tools for a more sustainable industry. We are looking forward to the next challenges and collaborating with Vyla’s fast growth from here on!” said Guillermo Perez, CEO and co-founder at Octobot, on the app launch.

“Available on App Store, Ascend pulls data from on-site farms to a ground-level for farmers to run their farms in a more efficient manner. We are not replacing any application or competing with other applications on a farm, but we are connecting them for better visibility and adding new functionalities every month. Vyla is a community connector as we bring Vyla-members and the industry together, and this mobile app is one way to do that,” states Tim Taylor, CEO and founder of Vyla.

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“It is a terrible irony that those who grow our food cannot afford to feed their own families healthy, nutritious diets,” said Gilbert F Houngbo, president of IFAD. “With no savings and no access to capital, farming families also have no cushion against climate change and other shocks. Today’s Food Systems Summit is our chance to commit to concrete changes. We mustn’t squander this opportunity.”

The majority of rural people in developing countries earn their incomes from agriculture. Rural small-scale farmers working on farms smaller than two hectares produce over 30% of global food, and up to 80% in parts of Africa and Asia. According to a recent study of a number of crops sourced from small-scale farms in developing countries, only 6.5 per cent of the supermarket price is paid to the farmer. Traders, food manufacturers and retailers take the lion’s share.

According to IFAD’s Rural Development Report, the growing concentration of power within food systems have seen profits for large food companies escalate, while the people working to produce, process and distribute our food are trapped in poverty and hunger. Inadequate incomes are a major reason why around 3 billion people in the world cannot afford healthy diets.

“When rural people are paid fairly for their labour, the ripple effect is enormous. Profitable small farms put children through school, pay for diverse, healthy diets, generate employment, and boost rural economies,” said Houngbo. “Conversely, poverty and hunger are key drivers of migration, conflict and instability. Which future do we want?”

IFAD is calling for governments to work with the private sector to implement policies that promote employment generation, decent wages and improved working conditions. A major focus, says the IFAD, needs to be on local small businesses which work across our food systems and produce, process and distribute food while creating local jobs and boosting rural economies. In particular, the IFAD says there needs to be a commitment from all actors to ensure small-scale producers can access existing and emerging markets on fair terms.

The Food Systems Summit, under the leadership of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, is intended to result in actionable commitments from heads of state and other leaders. It is a culmination of 18 months of engagement with governments, food producers, civil society and companies on how to transform the way we produce, process and consume food.

IFAD invests in remote rural people – in particular women, youth and Indigenous Peoples who suffer the most from inequitable food systems – to ensure they receive decent returns for their work. IFAD has been the anchor agency for the Food Systems Summit action track focused on advancing equitable livelihoods. Following the Summit, IFAD will co-lead the Decent Wages and Living Income coalition with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the support of CARE, to advance this important element of food systems transformation.

IFAD is also leading an initiative to unlock the potential of public development banks across the world to address the lack of access to finance for rural producers, while helping to shift investments to more environmentally sustainable and fairer systems.

Countries are in the process of developing their own pathways, and the IFAD says it will continue to support its Member States in transforming their national food systems.

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The Farming Innovation Pioneers Awards are delivered through Harper Adams’ School of Sustainable Food and Farming (SSFF) and sponsored by Trinity AgTech’s Pioneers programme. They will be made to farmers who work with cross-industry stakeholders to spearhead transformational sustainability projects – those which drive the industry forward environmentally, socially or commercially, or a combination of all three.

The Awards have been launched in conjunction with the new School at Harper Adams University, of which Trinity Agtech is an inaugural delivery partner. The university’s deputy vice-chancellor professor Michael Lee will be among the judges of the award, along with the SSFF steering group.

Dr Hosein Khajeh-Hosseiny, executive chairman of Trinity AgTech, says the aim is to identify, support and elevate innovators and entrepreneurial thinkers who can drive change, particularly around sustainable production through collaboration with other industry stakeholders.

“This is a time of phenomenal opportunity for agriculture, yet currently the industry harnesses just 20% of its inherent innovative talent,” says Dr Khajeh-Hosseiny, who has spent the past 23 years helping companies manage transformational change.

“We want to provide a platform for mass innovation, empowering farms of all shapes and sizes, to give farmers and their business partners the freedom to explore their potential, free from noise, bias and misinformation that currently stifles creative talent.

“Innovation is a collaboration of many people – the computer, for example, wasn’t invented by one person. So, it’s time to unleash the genius of the many,” he says. “We want to reward those who successfully embrace the innovative potential of the food and farming ecosystem.”

Professor Lee says the judges for the Farming Innovation Pioneers Awards will look for collaborative projects that are in the early stages of development or are at the conceptual ideas stage with a clear plan.

“We’re looking for the pioneers who inspire co-creation, collaboration across skillsets; for ventures that recognise interdependencies and the mutual need for experimentation; and for innovation that cascades and drives industry-wide progress towards a more sustainable agriculture,” he says.

“The awards will not only recognise the inherent talent we have within the UK farming industry, they will inspire our students to find creative ways towards a more sustainable future. This marries new thinking and new technologies with a deep-seated understanding of what works.”

To qualify, applications must be:

• Innovative – signal a new approach to practices, structures or culture across the food and farming industry;
• Collaborative – at least two other individuals beyond the farm must be collaborating with the farmer;
• Sustainable – productive but with a reduced environmental footprint, supporting biodiversity, rural societies and upholding leading animal welfare;
• Scalable – capable of emulation and replication by many other farmers;
• Evidenced – able to show how multiple stakeholders, including the farmer, are working together to be innovative to benefit the whole ecosystem.

The awards are open for written applications until 1 May 2022 and a panel of expert judges will review and select winners by 1 June 2022. All applications will be judged on the level of Innovation; Collaboration; Sustainability and Scalability.

Dr Khajeh-Hosseiny highlights Sandy, the new digital assistant from Trinity AgTech, as a good example of industry collaboration, bringing together software and digital expertise with scientists and farmers to create a unique tool. Sandy allows farmers to accurately and independently assess their farm’s sustainability. It will help them plan their path to greater profitability, provide robust provenance for their produce and capitalise on the natural assets they care for.

“The world of agriculture will become remarkably different to what it is today, and Sandy can play a pivotal role in that transformation,” says Dr Khajeh-Hosseiny.

“There is an incredible amount of innovation coming along, with over 2000 start-ups moving into agtech – they will be fuelling farmers’ abilities to be pioneers.

“But this requires a trusted ecosystem approach – true innovation is a collaboration of many, free to think, experiment and speculate, enjoying clear, simple authoritative information. This is what Sandy provides.”

Examples of innovations the judges expect to see include farmers working together with banks and retailers to set up new types of a more sustainable farm enterprise; development of new low disturbance machinery through farmer/manufacturer collaboration; the co creation of low methane diets in the livestock sector.

For more information, and to register for a webinar that provides a demonstration of Sandy, go to trinityagtech.com.

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For this purpose, the dairy supports and accompanies its ‘climate leaders’ with appropriate measures such as in the field of humus structure and biodiversity, and supports the work by the payment of €10 for each tonne of carbon dioxide, which is stored or avoided.

When the project was presented, managing director Barbara Scheitz was accompanied by Professor Urs Niggli from the Institute for Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems ‘Agroecology.Science’, which the project is scientifically leaning on; Richard Mergner, who is state executive of the Bund Nature Conservation in Bavaria, and the organic Klimabauer, Georg Scheitz.

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Arla’s on-farm R&D facility was formally launched last week, showcasing a range of cutting-edge trials that are testing the tech of the future.

The Arla UK 360 ‘Innovation Farm’ near Aylesbury is run by the Dyson family and serves as a central hub to host or participate in the cutting-edge trials. Arla is undertaking to lead the dairy agenda, to assess the risk, costs and benefits before sharing this with Arla farmers. The farm will also be used as an education centre for Arla to share its learnings with other Arla members, foodservice and retail customers and industry stakeholders.

The post Arla launches UK Innovation Farm, announces latest research trial appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

The course has been tailored specifically for agriculture and is the first to emphasise the importance of non-technical skills (NTS) for farmers using techniques borrowed from the aviation industry.

Non-technical skills refer to a subset of ‘human factor’ skills such as task management and situation awareness and have been examined extensively in other high-risk industries including aviation, offshore drilling and healthcare. However, the NTSAg research team at the University of Aberdeen are the only group studying these skills in farming, and this will be the first farmer specific NTS training course developed anywhere.

Farming is the most dangerous industry in the UK with 14,000 non-fatal injuries and 39 deaths in the UK during 2018 and 2019. This translates to a fatality rate 18 times higher than the general industry average. Causes of death remain broadly the same over the past five years with being struck by a moving vehicle, injured by an animal and falls from height being the most frequent killers. Such a consistently high fatality rate has prompted farming organisations and safety professionals to look for a new approach to improve farm safety and ultimately reduce fatalities.

Dr Amy Irwin and the NTSAg team have studied the accident rate in farming for more than six years and have applied their knowledge of NTS in other industries to identify which would be the key skills for farmers. The team have applied this research by developing a training course with training organisation KURA Human Factors.

Dr Amy Irwin explains: “Non-technical skills fall into two categories – cognitive thinking skills such as decision-making and situation awareness, and social interaction skills such as teamwork and communication. Our research over the years has found that these skills, in conjunction with technical know-how, are key to ensuring safe and effective performance at work.”

Originally identified as crucial for safety in aviation where NTS training is mandatory, training in these skills has been successfully applied across a range of high-risk industries with the aim of reducing work-place injuries and fatalities.  Bringing this knowledge to farming, the team have produced a range of practical tools designed to develop and enhance these skills within agriculture like the tractor situation awareness checklist, and farmer resource management guide, both distributed to thousands of farmers in the UK.

Dr Irwin adds: “Many industries emphasise the importance of NTS, and some, including aviation make it mandatory, however development of these skills has not been addressed in agriculture until now. The current collaboration builds on our strong foundation of research and practical tools to produce an entirely original farmer training programme that mirrors the techniques used to train NTS in aviation and construction.

“We hope that by providing a new, novel, training course in these skills we can turn our research findings into improved safety for farmers.”

Niven Phoenix from KURA added: “An evidence based non-technical skills course for agricultural workers is long overdue. The advent of technology in farming has been astounding with systems and hardware that has advanced out of sync with the training required to manage the increased risk presented.

“We have already seen parallels with our work in the construction industry. It is beset by similar problems that are now being addressed with effective understanding of Human Fallibility and how we can build systems, processes but more importantly behaviours that protect livelihood, life and limb.

“This is an excellent course that will produce safety dividends for farmers worldwide and it has been a privilege to work with the University combining their rigorous research with our practical aviation application of training. As someone who lost a father to an aviation accident I know that cultures and behaviours are intrinsic to safety. I feel we have ignited a spark that will continue to grow, acting as a catalyst for change and bringing those same aviation safety behaviours into our agriculture industry. One thing is for certain we cannot continue in the same vein in agriculture with statistics that make it a safety lottery when people leave the security of their homes.”

The collaboration was funded through the University of Aberdeen Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation funding program. The funds awarded covered the costs of an internship for PhD student Ilinca-Ruxandra Tone to design farming specific materials for the training course, plus support from PhD student Nejc Sedlar to run discussion groups with farmers as part of the design process for a new training and assessment tool FLINTS (Farmer List of Non-Technical Skills) that can be used in conjunction with the KURA training program to measure skill development.

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“The strategy still raises too many questions in the European farming and agri-food community,” the statement says. “A year of intense debate has only increased the number of our concerns.

“We do not have a single doubt that the Farm to Fork strategy with its targets will have a considerable impact on the whole agricultural value chain, from farmers to our food systems and to consumers throughout the Union. But most probably not on the ones initially hoped for or expected.

“Let’s be perfectly clear, we are not opposed in essence to the approach proposed within the Farm to Fork strategy or the Green Deal. We are all conscious that our food system must integrate further measures to improve its sustainability as fast as possible while maintaining the highest quality standards and food affordability.

“Nevertheless, not only will this strategy have an impact on the environmental quality of our agriculture, but it will also impact on our production capacity, our competitiveness, our imports and ultimately on consumer prices. As it has been demonstrated over the past year, there are also considerable paradoxes in the composition of those generalised objectives, and by the time these are widely understood, it will be too late. We must not shy away from the debate on these paradoxes. We must collectively discuss them because, even if there appears to be a collective disregard at EU-level these days, the stakes are too high.

“A comprehensive impact assessment would have been the appropriate way to engage in a concrete discussion on the substance of the Farm to Fork strategy. Such a study was promised by vice president Frans Timmermans. However, although this was promised on many occasions in line with the principles of “good governance” of the Commission, we now know that such as assessment will not be carried out. In the face of the challenges posed to our food security, this neglect on the part of the Commission is both incomprehensible and unacceptable.

“Individual studies on the different objectives of the strategy are not sufficient. It is only by cumulating and cross-checking the different targets proposed in the strategy that one can realise the real challenges posed by the strategy. In the area of trade policy, the same Commission has had the courage to propose a comprehensive study of the complex cumulative impacts involved in the more than 60 trade agreements signed by the EU. So why shouldn’t this be possible for the Farm to Fork strategy? Why has the US government already conducted a study on our own flagship policy?

“We are asking for the application of three common sense principles: to have a policy based on concrete data and scientific evidence that is in line with the better regulation principles, not on ideology and political stances; to start talking about concrete tools and technologies capable of creating enthusiasm in our farming community for this political project and finally to have the same level of ambition in the EU internal market vis-à-vis those international trade partners that don’t share the same ambitions.”

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The first was the two cows falling into the water in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where the first floating urban dairy farm is located and has been opering since 2019. The cow being winched out of the water does not look impressed in the photo on Farminguk.com. The second was that the director of Avatar, James Cameron, is said to have quietly turned his organic vegetable farm, which he bought from a dairy farmer in New Zealand several years ago, back into grazing for cattle.

The first item shows that you can never tell with animals. I do not know how the cows wound up in the drink, but shifting them back and forth across gangplanks is well, a tricky business. I like the idea behind urban centres providing their own supply for feeding the population, but as we all march towards the future of farming, there are bound to be a few animals falling into the water, especially as the level rises over the years. It is something to think about. I am happy it’s the Dutch who are doing this – they know a lot about dealing with both rising water levels and cows. The expertise will benefit us all.

The second item is a bit of a funny one, and it’s really about using the land most productively to feed a growing population. People like to say that turning over all the animal-based pasture to crop agriculture will be the way forward. But as any farmer will tell you, that just isn’t so.

As you remove animals from the land, and turn over that soil for crops, you are destabilizing it. Now, in soils like my allotment, that’s not an issue. I plant, I add compost, I go from there. But if you do that with land that is already not the most stable (say, grasslands), you’re just inviting poor conditions. A lot of grassland really isn’t great for growing anything but grass, and a lot of fertilizer may have to be added to grow them. Thin topsoil blows away. Also, where does that fertilizer come from, if you take animals out of the equation? Putting cows on grassland makes more sense. They take the nutrients from the grass but leave the ground structures intact.

I am sure there are simulators, and I know there are people who are more knowledgeable than me discussing this whole very complex process (www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit). What is interesting about all of this is it’s a bit like playing Jenga. You never know how removing one piece is going to make the whole thing collapse.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

The post The critical pieces appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

The data confirms that Arla farmers are among the most climate efficient dairy farmers in the world with 1.15 kg of CO₂e per kilo (against a global average of the current industry standard is 2.5kg (FAO) ). The best performing Arla farmers are able to produce a kilo of raw milk with a farm level footprint well below 0.9 kg of CO₂e.  The data also shapes a clear blueprint of what will drive further reductions on farms over the next decade. 

“We have made a major investment in developing and implementing a solid model for measuring climate impact on a dairy farm. The unique data set that Arla farmers have now created clearly shows which activities will accelerate our reductions over the next decade. We will use this to decarbonise our farms at a faster pace and share our findings with stakeholders to help drive an effective transition for the whole industry. There’s a huge amount of value in this for all of us,“ says Arla Foods chairman Jan Toft Nørgaard.  

The data will now be analysed and organised so that it can be made accessible to Arla farmers as part of their own journey to reducing their climate checks. From June, the new portal will enable them to see average results for farms with similar conditions, size or geography to them. But the potential for the data extends beyond farmer action as Alice Swift, agriculture director for Arla Foods UK explains: “As a cooperative and as an industry, we need to re-educate the public about British dairy. An absence of UK data has made others reliant on global data, and that’s simply not representative of how sustainable British and European dairy can be. The exceptional lengths our owners have gone to in participating in this process now gives us the opportunity to start setting the record straight on British dairy, as well as continuing to work towards improvements that lead us to carbon net zero.”

The data has revealed five universal levers to a lower carbon footprint for dairy on all types of Arla farms. They are:   

• Better feed efficiency to improve milk yield  
• Precision feeding to reduce surplus protein in feed rations 
• A healthy and long life for the cow to improve milk yield  
• Precise fertiliser management to reduce nitrogen surplus from feed production 
• Better land use management to ensure better crop yields  

These five levers account for the majority of differences between the carbon footprint scores across all Arla farms. The five levers apply to all Arla farms in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg regardless of size, geography, breed or landscape conditions. 

“The data shows that all types of farms can achieve tangible results if precision farming is increased in these five areas. This will help us significantly going forward both to lower our CO2e footprint and for future investments on farms to help meet our ambitious climate goals,“ says Jan Toft Nørgaard. 

A baseline, not a result 

“We are proud of where we’ve got to, but we are determined to go a lot further. For us, the number is not a final result but a baseline from where we need to improve. The Climate Checks is a tool to guide our next steps, to accumulate more insight and transparently measure our progress going forward,” says Jan Toft Nørgaard. 

From June, the insights generated from the compiled data will be shared within the cooperative and also presented to politicians, research partners and industry stakeholders. This will help improve the common understanding of what works and where to focus funding and research to support the longer-term transition to carbon net zero dairy farming. Early findings already highlight the true value this dataset will provide.

Alice Swift continues: “It is a myth that farms of a certain system, type, size, breed or location are in a more favourable position to lower their footprint than other farms with different conditions. Lowering your footprint is all about finding the right balance between the resources that go in and the value that comes out. The data shows that all types of farms can achieve tangible results if precision farming is increased in the five areas we have identified and it will often benefit both the climate and the farm’s longer term profitability.” 

The journey to carbon net zero

Whilst extensive in its content, Arla’s climate check data will still need to evolve in the years to come as science and research continues to evolve. One example is carbon sequestration that can potentially be an important positive lever to mitigate climate change, not least for dairy farmers who have a lot of grasslands. Arla is part of a collaboration between a number of global companies such as FrieslandCampina, Fonterra, Mars, McDonalds and Nestle to develop internationally recognised and globally adopted carbon sequestration calculation guidelines for the dairy sector and when these are in place the aim is to include the impact of carbon sequestration in the Climate Check measurement. 

The relatively low average footprint for Arla’s raw milk at farm level is a result of year-on-year improvements made by the cooperative’s farmers over the past three decades. In this decade of action, they aim to triple the speed of reductions to meet Arla’s science-based target of -30% CO₂e from 2015 to 2030 and to become carbon net zero by 2050. 

Alice Swift continues: “The excitement around this data is palpable, across the Arla team and our farmer owners. When data drives a clear road, change is inevitable. Add to this some of the ground breaking science and technology based trials taking place across Arla and through our Arla UK 360 programme and it’s safe to say there are some game changing opportunities ahead in our journey to carbon net zero dairy farming.” 

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Supported by Morrisons, with co-partner RAFT Solutions Ltd, the school will draw on academic and practical expertise, as well as industry networks, to develop knowledge and skills for farmers and other businesses in the supply chain, who are committed to reducing the environmental impact of food production.

Professor Michael Lee, Harper Adams deputy vice-chancellor, said: “We are extremely excited to team up with Morrisons and RAFT Solutions to deliver this critically-needed collaboration which will support the transition to a more sustainable food system delivering to both human and planetary health.

“The initial targets will be centred around how to achieve net-zero UK agriculture. However, the ambition of the school will include wider aspects of sustainability including biodiversity, animal welfare, rural community support, green energy production and farm profitability.”

The school will support and further develop production systems research geared towards more sustainable farming. Research topics initially will include: livestock breed choice, diet composition, yield improvement, agricultural building design, on-farm renewable energy, precision farming, sensors and use of data.

Using knowledge from the research, the school will seek to develop practical advice and guidance to help farmers adjust their practices to be more sustainable. RAFT Solutions Ltd will play a key role in developing practical skills training associated with animal breeding and health.

Professor Jonathan Statham, chief executive of RAFT Solutions Ltd and professor of Sustainable Livestock Health and Welfare at the Harper & Keele Vet School, said: “We are incredibly proud to support Morrisons in its net-zero ambition, which is true to the very core of RAFT’s activity and the vision for Harper & Keele Vet School to make a real difference at farm level with practical and achievable solutions to the sustainability challenge.

“The pressures on farming and farmers are intense but there are win-win opportunities where better animal health and welfare are better economically as well as better for the planet. Reducing the waste of poor health and reproductive inefficiency alongside delivering practical precision livestock farming (PLF) solutions is where our work supports sustainable farming.”

Sophie Throup, head of Agriculture at Morrisons, said: “We are making a significant investment into this project as part of our pledge to be the first supermarket to be directly supplied by net zero carbon British farms by 2030. We look forward to working as a partnership and to bringing the best brains together within the industry – to provide this new breadth of sustainability training for our British farmers.”

The school will also provide a platform from which relevant research can be translated and scaled to assist the entire food value chain.

Capital investment in real farming projects will enable direct farming engagement with the school, for the benefit of all. Work placements, apprenticeships and other workforce development initiatives are also being considered to support the need for future sustainable food and farming professionals.

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Showcasing the latest industry data, this year’s Organic Market Report highlights sales trends across all channels including the highest year-on-year growth in 15 years of 12.6%. Its publication has been welcomed by OF&G’s chief executive, Roger Kerr, who believes this is a timely reminder of organic’s potential.

“There’s such a positive outlook for organic in the domestic market, with continued growth and increasing consumer appetite. We must capitalise on this renewed interest by continuing to trumpet organic’s integrity and veracity, as the only globally recognised agroecological standard,” says Mr Kerr.

“Following our departure from the EU, it’s vital we capitalise on the market opportunities both domestically and internationally on the back of organic’s unique benefits,” continues Kerr. “Timing is essential, especially in light of the EU’s recent announcement of a new fund allocated to the promotion of EU agri-food products of which €86 million will be used specifically to promote organic and sustainable farming within the EU and globally in 2021.

“With the UK’s new position in the world, more than ever, UK agriculture will need to be cognisant of the market opportunities and respond accordingly if the industry is to deliver value beyond simple commodities. It is vital that the UK step up and secure its share of this valuable market.”

OF&G has repeatedly called on government for better recognition and more consistent support for farming systems that are proven to benefit British farming, both environmentally and economically.

“We hope the release of this new data will give Defra the impetus to reconsider their approach within the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme and explicitly recognise organic as providing an advantageous solution to many of the complex issues we currently face,” concludes Mr Kerr.

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“We export 16% of everything that we produce,” says USDEC senior vice president of trade policy Jaime Castaneda. “Without that market access, we (in the dairy industry) wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow the way we have been growing.”

At a recent press conference, USDEC and other members of the Farmers For Free Trade coalition offered policy recommendations, including pursuing trade agreements that eliminate tariffs and addressing technical barriers to agricultural trade, and safeguarding generic cheese terms such as Feta and parmesan.

The recommendations captured in the roadmap come after months of planning and discussion. Last summer, town hall meetings were held in five US states – Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa – to gain input from the agricultural community. USDEC jointly hosted the Wisconsin event together with NMPF. Much of what was learned at those meetings was included in the final report released, the coalition says.

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“We welcome a transition to more sustainable farming principles,” says Roger Kerr (pictured), chief executive at OF&G. “And we’re fully behind the ‘better, fairer farming systems that deliver more for the environment’ that the Secretary of State has outlined. But this currently looks like a roadmap to nowhere.

“There’s a glaring hole in the Government’s strategy as it fails to include organic in any Environmental Land Management (ELM) proposal or pilot scheme, as well as lacking any financial detail for farmers to plan their business strategies for when the ELM scheme begins in a little over three years’ time.

“Defra outlines the need for ‘sustainably grown, healthy food produced profitably without subsidy, while taking steps to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare, and reduce carbon emissions. Yet if Government truly wants to fulfil these objectives, organic must be properly recognised for its role in delivering against those targets.”

Mr Kerr says many of the principles of organic are highlighted as advantageous within the transition plan. However, to him it appears the Government is proposing a ‘pick and mix’ approach of the environmental features, without acknowledging the integrated and holistic benefits of organic systems.

“There’s undoubtedly a need for a new way forward given the dire state of our agricultural land and rural communities. The current system isn’t working but simply cherry-picking specific elements of ‘environmentally-friendly’ food production isn’t going to address the multiple, complex and serious challenges we face,” continues Mr Kerr.

OF&G indicates there is clear demand for organic food and systems that underwrite its production. Consumer demand has increased by over 9% so far this year (compared with around 5% last year), with 13% growth in organic sales in September alone compared with the same period last year.

“Organic opens access to new food supply chains, improved farm biodiversity and reduced reliance on inputs with the resultant release in working capital. Additionally, the integrated approach organic farmers use helps protect natural habitats and wildlife populations, as well as reducing risks of negative impacts on air, water and soil quality.

“Defra has been planning this transition for four years and yet the migration process remains hazy at best. It’s still unclear how payments will reward farmers for their environmental input. It’s time for Government to recognise the diversity of approaches to food production and ensure organic farmers and growers are financially recognised for the proven value and multiple benefits they provide as part of this new ‘better, fairer farming system,’” concludes Mr Kerr.

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This comes after evidence gathered during the Groceries Code Adjudicator Call for Evidence in 2016 highlighted how unfair practices have persisted in the dairy industry.

Consultation proposals include an option to introduce a mandatory pricing mechanism within all contracts between dairy farmers and processors. This would ensure the price paid for milk produced by the farmer is formally agreed within the contract, and that contract negotiations take place in a clear and transparent way.

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