LEAF(Linking Environment And Farming)
Sustainable production and consumption have become popular phrases in government circles. The former being principally what farmers are able to deliver and the latter consumers. Farmers have gone a long way to deliver farming systems that produce quality food, a flourishing environment and many of the extra goods that consumers desire – at a very cost effective price (indeed we can all argue too cheaply).
However as consumers things are a little different … we still want all our cake and more. We are living beyond our means, a country on credit – economically and environmentally, borrowing off the future to satisfy today’s desires.
Encouraging wise use of resources, smarter approaches to business planning and new technologies are key. We need to increase
productivity whilst still protecting our resources. This approach of efficiency and attention to detail lies at the heart of LEAF’s work and is what we have been advocating through Integrated Farm
Management over the last 17 years. Working with many other organisations, including the Arthur Rank Centre, LEAF develops and provides farmers with the tools to make significant cost savings and environmental benefits to their business, giving farmers the capacity to be prepared for the future.
But our work is two fold – encouraging more sustainable farming approaches among farmers and providing a great opportunity for consumers to see a real piece of the countryside. Leaf has a network of demonstration farms, runs Open Farm Sunday (7 June 2009) and operates the LEAF Marque. This is a an independently verified, food quality assurance scheme. The LEAF Marque logo appears on fresh produce showing that it has been grown to very high standards and with care for the environment.
The last 17 years have been ones of tremendous growth for the LEAF. There are now over 70 demonstration farmers and innovation centres throughout the UK. They promote science, research, best practice and general farming principles to farmers and consumers alike. These farmers are volunteers and some 14000 people go round the LEAF farms each year.
LEAF is taking every opportunity to ‘connect’ with the general public, whether it is on the farm or in store. More recently, we have organised Open Farm Sunday which has become the farming industry’s leading annual open day. In 2008 more than 400 farms opened up and welcomed a massive 150,000 people for a taste of farming and the countryside.
The thrust of LEAF’s work is to
encourage sustainable production methods with environmental responsibility and economic viability. This is done through more efficient management, cost savings and the encouragement of more sustainable consumption. As an organisation we have sought out solutions for issues that are controversial so that we can keep farmers ‘ahead of the game’. Now we are increasingly providing the opportunity to celebrate the farming story. LEAF is here for the good of the industry and provides a bottom up, common sense approach for the majority of farmers.
As a charity and membership organisation you can support our work by joining a group of progressive and committed farmers and consumers. Public membership starts at £20+VAT which includes updates and regular newsletters
If you would like to learn more about our work then visit our website
www.leafuk.org, join on line or plan a trip to a LEAF Demonstration Farm. The challenge is big but the solutions are out there and LEAF has plotted out a sound route that will ensure that the farmers and the countryside are well placed for the future.
Caroline Drummond LEAF Chief Executive 024 7641 3911
enquiries@leafuk.org
26
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
agriculture
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