Unpredictable disruptions have challenged the agri-food chain over recent months, but it has shown amazing resilience. The Supply Chain panel at REAP 2023 will hear how AM Fresh Group, Diageo and Tesco are applying innovation to help mitigate climate related risk and improve sustainability. This will include a discussion of the opportunities being created for producers and agri-tech to support them.
New legislation – Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures – has come into effect this year, and that is driving the journey to Net Zero from the top of the supply chain. This global move towards sustainability is evident from projects initiated by the speakers on the panel, with reporting on their websites aligned to the requirements of TCFD.
The Supply Chain Panel at REAP 2023
Naomi Pendleton
Group Sustainability Director at AM Fresh Group
AM Fresh Group is an international organisation that works with partners across a vertically-integrated supply chain specialising in citrus, table grapes, tropical fruits and superfoods.
The company uses the best traditional breeding practices with advanced biotechnology to develop new varieties of grapes, citrus and other high value fruits. It has a portfolio of patented varieties and supports a programme of continuous innovation supported by customer insights.
The company has a successful program to reduce waste in its citrus chain and Naomi reported on a pilot project with black soldier flies at an Agri-TechE meeting. Naomi says: “Between our two fresh produce manufacturing sites, we generate 5000 tonnes of food waste each year, which represents approximately 1.6% of our throughput. We started our relationship with AgriGrub in 2019 at their pilot site in Hasse Fen with a mission to be zero food waste by 2025.”
Andy Griffiths
Head of Sustainable Procurement at Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with a collection of brands across spirits and beer including Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, and Guinness.
Like many organisations, Scope 3 makes up a high proportion of the total emissions for Diageo. These come in part from the production and processing of their raw materials, such as barley, wheat, rye and dairy, and contribute almost a third of Diageo’s total value chain footprint.
Through its ‘Grain to Glass’ sustainability programme, the company is taking action to mitigate climate related risks in a data-led and systemic way. It is supporting farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture and to improve the resilience of farmers’ livelihoods to climate change. The aim is to use the analysis to identify opportunities for improvement on-farm, so the company can focus efforts where it will make the biggest positive impact.
One of these projects is in Ireland which aims to reduce carbon emissions of barley used to brew Guinness. Another is a collaboration with growers in Scotland to gather on-farm data, which together with satellite imagery and AI-informed predictive analytics, will improve baseline carbon footprint data and provide insights into other on-farm environmental metrics.
Peter Illman
Sustainable Agriculture Manager at Tesco
Peter takes responsibility for delivery of the sustainable agriculture strategy within fresh produce, and has led the UK’s largest-ever commercial rollout of low-carbon fertiliser, which has won high praise from the industry.
Tesco has made a commitment to halve the environmental impact of the average shopping basket by 2030. Peter comments: “Part of our responsibility to consumers is that by adapting, learning and investing, we aim to guarantee both a secure supply of affordable, fresh food, and a healthy, thriving food system.
Following the success of its pilot, the company has recently announced that it will extend its trial of eight market-ready low-carbon fertilisers manufactured from food waste, chicken litter and algae. The aim was to determine the most eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives to conventional fertiliser. Initial results found the alternatives were just as effective as conventional fertilisers while slashing emissions by up to 50%, with no extra cost to farmers.
The session will be chaired by:
Jon Williams
Public and Governmental Affairs Manager – Agricultural Solutions, UK and Ireland at BASF
As a leading company in the crop protection industry, BASF has a broad portfolio of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, seed treatments and pest control products. In addition, it also provides biological crop protection products and solutions for improving plant health as well as nutrient management in the soil.
BASF is currently running a number of trials with farmers to investigate ways to optimise nutrient use in the field and to measure and monitor environmental variables.
REAP Conference 2023:
Adaptation Through Innovation; Beyond the Comfort Zone
Wednesday 8th November, 9:30 am – 6:30 pm
Rowley Mile Conference Centre, Newmarket
Surviving and thriving under increasingly extreme and unpredictable challenges is the theme of the 2023 REAP conference. To build a productive, profitable and sustainable agri-food industry, we must move away from the comfort zone and become open to the new opportunities that exist when we ‘stretch’. Be a part of that future – bring yourself and your ideas to REAP.