Author Archives: Olaf Wozniak

EISA: Transitioning onwards for Sustainable Agriculture

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EISA (Brussels): Founded in May 2001 by agricultural associations from six European countries, the European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture has actively promoted the holistic concept of ‘Integrated Farming’ as a guideline for sustainable development of agriculture in the EU. Together with seven associate members from both upstream and downstream sectors of agriculture, the initiative cemented a shared vision to create a united voice for sustainable agriculture with a view to advocating means to enable a practical implementation on the ground.

Having been set up at a time when sustainability was a buzzword slowly filtering into many sectors’ priority focus areas, EISA has served as a beacon for farming in Europe to establish a firm foothold not only for being a proponent of sustainable practices, but also of being a strong voice calling for policies that support more efficient and responsible agriculture and access to the necessary tools for farmers to make responsible decisions.

Today, sustainable agriculture is a term commonly used in the EU Common Agricultural Policy and far beyond. Many ideas and strategies promoted by EISA have made their way into agricultural policies at both European and national level. These developments are a key achievement and recognition that the initiative has met its main objectives. After these 17 years of successful collaborations with our membership, following the general agreement that a focus is now due at national level for further shaping and implementing measures for sustainable agriculture, EISA has decided to transition onwards and cease activities in their current form.

Moving beyond the European scope, national and global strategies for sustainable farming practices and implementation will increasingly be needed, so a continued network of interested parties is a welcome progression.

EISA members and associate members join together to express their appreciation for the demonstrated interest and support for EISA’s activities, and look forward to a new phase of cooperation under a mutual network of associations sharing best practices and working together when suitable to further sustainable agriculture in Europe.

Trois agriculteurs de trois pays témoignent de cet enjeu global

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L‘EISA, association européenne d’agriculture durable, dont Farre est membre, s’intéresse de près à la biodiversité du sol, facteur de sa fertilité. « En plus des minéraux, la matière organique du sol contient des milliards de sortes d’organismes : bactéries, champignons, algues, protozoaires, nématodes, acariens, collemboles, larves d’insectes, vers de terre… Leur poids corporel cumulé peut atteindre 260 à 1 650 g/m² de terre. Les agriculteurs soucieux de pratiquer une agriculture plus durable sont particulièrement attentifs à maintenir cette vie du sol. » Minuscules et banals, voire invisibles à l’œil nu, les organismes du sol ne reçoivent que rarement l’attention qu’ils méritent et qui améliorerait leurs fonctions biologiques.

Ils agissent en faveur des cycles de production de nutriments, de la structure du sol ainsi que des transferts d’air et d’eau, et donc de la fertilité des sols en général. Toute croissance des plantes dépend de la présence et de l’activité de ces milliards d'”assistants”. Voilà pourquoi les organismes du sol et le taux de matière organique méritent une attention particulière. « La gestion des sols, et notamment les analyses, joue un rôle important dans le concept d’agriculture intégrée. Elle est essentielle pour maintenir leur fertilité. »

Pour l’EISA, la gestion des sols comprend, entre autres, un plan à long terme des rotations de culture, la fourniture de matière organique au sol, le choix des opérations de travail du sol appropriées, et des mesures pour éviter le compactage.

Source (en Anglais) : http://sustainable-agriculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Topic-Sheet-Soil-Biodiversity-011015-final.pdf

IFAH-Europe Conference 2015 on ‘Healthy Animals, Healthy Food, a Healthy Future’

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On 11 June 2015, the International Federation of Animal Health Europe (IFAH-Europe) held a conference which addressed important issues with regard to Europe’s role in the global food security challenge, sustainable animal production and the role of animal health, and the role of innovation in animal production and consumer acceptance…

Enhancing the sustainability of sensory farm visits discussed at the Let Nature Feed Your Senses Conference | LEAF’s EBrief 26th November 2013

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LEAF’s EBrief 26th November 2013 FARMERS CONSUMERS FOOD CHAIN
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Caroline Drummond

What can farmers learn from science to improve the nutrition of our food?

Alongside my work at LEAF, I am truly honoured to have been awarded the Frank Arden Nuffield scholarship to study the opportunities for farmers to improve the nutrition of our food through science. I present my findings in April next year, alongside David Northcroft from Waitrose who is also addressing the same topic. But what an unbelievably interesting area this all is! For me it has started with a whole new vocabulary of nutrient density, bio- fortification and functional food, amongst countless others, so clearly demonstrating the huge and complex food web that farmers are such a small, but significant part of. The challenge is getting more money pre-farm gate and I have had the opportunity to discuss and meet with scientists, nutritionists, farmers and enthusiasts from Italy, Canada, Taiwan, Brussels, and more. My recent trip to Taiwan has been particularly interesting and the generosity and kindness of the people there was overwhelming. I haven’t found all the answers yet but there are some definite pointers that I will be highlighting in my report. If you are particularly interested in this area, or indeed have thoughts, ideas and evidence that may be able to support my study, please do not hesitate to get in touch, thank you.

Caroline Drummond
LEAF Chief Executive
@LEAFChief on twitter

Enhancing the sustainability of sensory farm visits discussed at the Let Nature Feed Your Senses Conference

Over the last 4 1/2 years, the Let Nature Feed Your Senses project has delivered sensory farm visits for 14,100 visitors across England. In 2013, the focus of the project has been on enhancing the sustainability of visits, and on 20th November 100 people attended the project’s annual conference in Birmingham to hear how farm visits can be sustained when project funding comes to an end.

Gavin Atkins from MIND’s ‘Eco-Minds’ programme led a workshop on ‘the way into health commissioning’; Corri Waitt from FarmAbility explained how she has promoted her care farming services to individuals with personalised budgets; Beren Aldridge from Growing Well introduced the new Care Farm UK Code of Practice; Denys Fell from Densholme Care Farm shared his success at making links with local sponsors; and Rachel Bragg from Essex University discussed the importance of gathering and utilising evidence of impact. Jonathon Gardner from New Economics Foundation Consulting presented findings from his research with two mental health support groups, showing that significant savings to the state can be realised from a series of farm visits.

Let Nature Feed Your Senses Conference

A further focus of activity this year has been on action research, which has involved developing inclusive research tools on eight farms. Three host farmers shared their learning at the conference, and a report detailing action research learning will soon be available on the project website (www.letnaturefeedyoursenses.org). The project’s new poetry kits were also launched at the conference.

For more information, please contact the Let Nature Feed Your Senses Project Team.

There will be a full write up of the conference available on the Let Nature Feed Your Senses website shortly, in the meantime you can check out this write up of the project on the Farmer’s Weekly website.

Events

Upcoming events

Fancy having a chat about Integrated Farm Management, Open Farm Sunday or the Let Nature Feed Your Senses Project? We’re out and about throughout December and January, if you’re at any of the following events then do catch up with us:
Farm Business Innovation Show, 28 and 29 November, Hutchinsons Winter Technical Farmer Conference, 3rd December, Sainsbury’s Farming Conference 2013, 6th December, Oxford Farming Conference, 7th and 8th January. Full details of all events are available here.

Agriculture: where food and water meet

[Webinar] Agriculture: Where food and water meet

New reports and articles are increasingly pointing to water risk as one of the biggest issues associated with climate change, energy production, food security, and human health.  This webinar will outline the role of agriculture in the water cycle and how to identify, prioritise and respond to agriculture associated water risks in your business. Click here to register for this free webinar with 2degrees.

LPE13

LEAF’s President’s Event 2013: Presentations now available

Our annual President’s Event discussed and debated some of the current and future big issues in sustainable agriculture. Speakers’ presentation slides from the event are now available alongside a full report from the day and a full live commentary, both written by LEAF Trustee, Cedric Porter. Videos of the talks will be added shortly, click here to check it all out!

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is a registered charity (No. 1045781)
Our mailing address is:
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)
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Email: enquiries@leafuk.org
You have received this email because you have subscribed to LEAF’s EBrief, if you no longer wish to receive news from LEAF please unsubscribe using the link below.If you have any enquiries please do not hesitate to contact us using any of the details to the left.

 

UK harvest 13% complete | LEAF’s EBrief 16th August 2013

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LEAF’s EBrief 16th August 2013 FARMERS CONSUMERS FOOD CHAIN

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First appearance of FNL EventFam mobile outside of Germany

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Dr. Anton Kraus, general manager of FNL and chairman of the EISA Executive Committee, welcomes visitors of the EventFarm mobile together with mascot Else

Dr. Anton Kraus, general manager of FNL and chairman of the EISA Executive Committee, welcomes visitors of the EventFarm mobile together with mascot Else

After three years of touring German cities, the FNL EventFam mobile has presented modern sustainable agriculture outside of Germany for the first time – at the Foire Agricole in Ettelbrück, Luxembourg. Read more…

LEAF Marque celebrates 10 years | LEAF’s EBrief 18th July 2013

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LEAF’s EBrief 18th July 2013 farmers_spacer.gif FARMERS CONSUMERS FOOD CHAIN
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Caroline Drummond

Getting behind CAP

Last week, I was one of a number of speakers at the Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum seminar on reforming the CAP and what the next steps are for UK farmers. Amongst others, I was joined by Gwilym Jones from the EU Commission, Martin Nesbit from Defra and Peter Kendall of the NFU. It was certainly a lively and interesting morning with some heated debate. What was clear from discussions is that we must not lose sight of the opportunities that these reforms present in the areas of greening equivalence and consideration of farm assurance schemes with defined ecological benefits, such as LEAF Marque, as well as market management mechanisms, particularly reducing risk in the market and rural development. They say the devils in the detail but there are some positives to be had.

Caroline Drummond
LEAF Chief Executive
@LEAFChief on twitter

LEAF Marque celebrates 10 years

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the LEAF Marque, a global assurance system recognising sustainably farmed products. The LEAF Marque was first launched during the Wimbledon Championships in July 2003, giving recognition to farmers producing food to LEAF’s sustainable farming practices.

During the LEAF Marque’s first year, over 150 farmers achieved certification representing some 10,000 hectares of fruit and vegetables. Members of the public wanting to buy products carrying the LEAF Marque were able to find them in Waitrose, which were the first supermarket to stock LEAF Marque products.

LEAF Marque

Over the last ten years, the LEAF Marque has grown to become a globally recognised assurance system operating in some 40 different countries. Here in the UK, a quarter of all UK horticulture is LEAF Marque certified with 100 per cent of British grown leeks carrying the LEAF Marque logo, 73 per cent of peppers and 71 per cent of outdoor grown lettuce. When it comes to fruit, a quarter of UK grown strawberries, 33 per cent of raspberries and 29 per cent of apples are grown to the standard.

Read more including the 10 key achievements of the LEAF Marque here.
Farm study tour

Farm Study Tour to Kenya

This five day, knowledge exchange study tour of Kenya’s lead farming businesses, will take a group of nine UK farmers to see and hear the challenges faced by Kenyan export farming. The group will visit a wide range of enterprises and meet with farmers, agronomists and production managers. Click here to find and more.
Precision Farming

Precision Farming at Thrales End

Precision farming has the potential to deliver both economic and environmental benefits, which makes it an option worth a look for any farmer looking to farm more sustainably. LEAF Demonstration Farmer, Ian Pigott, talks through his decision to take up precision farming here.
Introducing westlands

Introducing… Westlands

Westland Nurseries are one of the UK’s largest commercial growers of micro-leaf, sea vegetables, edible flowers, oriental leaves, heirloom tomatoes, and loads more! Westlands joined LEAF in 2007 and became LEAF Marque certified four years later. We find out more on LEAF’s blog available to read here.
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is a registered charity (No. 1045781)
Our mailing address is:
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)
Stoneleigh Park
Warwickshire
CV8 2LGTelephone: 024 7641 3911
Email: enquiries		 You have received this email because you have subscribed to LEAF’s EBrief, if you no longer wish to receive news from LEAF please unsubscribe using the link below.If you have any enquiries please do not hesitate to contact us using any of the details to the left.t17041.gif
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