Rob Fawkes

The nation’s seen huge upheaval in the last eight years. A flawed food system has left the UK at the tipping point of catastrophic environmental and human health crises. We need policies that create jobs, improve rural livelihoods while delivering sustainable and economically viable food and farming systems Restoring this balance and equity requires ambition and vision from Government. The long-term effects of recent policies are still unfolding, but the need for action is urgent. One thing is clear; we must aspire to accomplish more. By considering organic’s four founding principles, our new manifesto identifies solutions that address the huge disparity that exists in current food and farming systems. The Principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness, and care are the roots from which organic agriculture grows and develops. They express the contribution that organic agriculture can make to the world, and a vision to improve all agriculture in a global context. Implementing OF&G’s recommendations would have a massive, beneficial impact on the resilence and fairness of our food system. Organic is a defined farming system and operates to the highest level of compliance to deliver on all four of the principles outlined The recent formal adoption of regulation on nature restoration by the EU shows that, with political will, change is possible. By advocating for policy changes that support health, ecology, fairness, and care, we can create a sustainable, equitable, vibrant and healthy food system. Organic is a defined farming system and operates to the highest level of compliance. Organic is part of the solution to the challenges confronting us but is not just about changing farming practices, it is about championing a profound, positive impact on our society and the planet. #NOC24 #ThePowerOfOrganic #proudtobeorganic #IGrowYourFood #IFOAMorganicseurope #regenerativefarming #ofgorganic #sustainability #agriculturebiologique #health #sustainablefarming #organicfarming #organic #organicfood #organiclife #UKorganic #organicresearchcentre #biodynamic #sustainabledevelopment #farmingforthefuture Paul Holmbeck  Eric Gall  Vicki Hird  Sarah Compson  Alex Cullen  James Cashmore  Adam Forrest  Adrian Carne Cristina Dimetto  Maria Taffurelli  Steven Jacobs  Becky George  Debs Roberts  Jo Barron

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Do your net zero target dates influence what kind of food commodities you procure? I learnt so much catching up with past students of our Certified Carbon Literacy Project and Food Sustainability Course last Friday. Who’d have thought? 1. Depending on how far businesses have set their net zero targets 2027 or 2040 you might offer a different coffee product as a manufacturer - Super insightful! 2. We debated the relative merits of voluntary sustainability initiatives versus mandatory regulations, discussing examples like the UK sugar tax and Waitrose's commitment to regenerative agriculture. Voluntary initiatives can set best practices and influence the market, while mandatory regulations may be needed to drive more rapid and comprehensive change. Given the urgency of climate action, we know which we’d prefer to see. 3. Some of the certifications and standards have become quite burdensome for sustainability leaders, resembling "Boy Scout badges." I liked that analogy! It’s always great to catch up and learn about progress and challenges with students and see how they’re implementing change in their businesses! Malcolm Hett, Liudmila R., Sarah Inge Parker

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ICYMI.... the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), in collaboration with WRAP and EY, recently published a detailed net-zero analysis - the UK Food System Transition Plan - which concluded that supply-side measures to decarbonise the food system will not of themselves be sufficient to meet climate goals and that a shift in diets towards lower carbon foods will also be needed, along with a reduction in food waste. Specifically, the plan models the equivalent of a 20% reduction in red meat and dairy that is required to transition the food system to net-zero by 2050. This is not new news (it's a more conservative scenario than the 20% reduction by 2030 modelled by the Climate Change Committee). Still, the plan feels like a really significant intervention given that, to-date, industry-led/influenced net-zero roadmaps have largely failed to acknowledge the need to rethink what we eat (and their credibility has suffered as a result). The authors are careful to couch the narrative on diet in ways that make it more palatable to groups, such as livestock farmers, who would likely baulk at the suggestion that meat and dairy consumption needs to fall. They say diet change should not be at the expense of health outcomes, which are "complex and uncertain" and that it doesn't necessarily imply the need for reduced UK production of animal protein (since relatively higher welfare/environmental standards position UK producers to supply export markets). There is still legitimate debate to be had about the role of meat consumption in human nutrition and how livestock production can, in the right circumstances, contribute to wider ecosystem health (looking beyond a purely carbon lens). There will continue to be strong advocates for the role of red meat in diets, including from organisations – like the Sustainable Food Trust – who recognise the need to reduce meat consumption at a population level. But, as I argue in a comment piece for Footprint Media Group, what IGD’s analysis does mean is that any responsible business still hoping to wish away the need to support some degree of UK dietary change is slowly running out of road. https://lnkd.in/eytTupt5

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Next up in our #skimmingthecream series is Lauren Goringe the people behind the 🥛 Job Title: 👩🏼‍💼 Senior Account Director at Reverberate PR We provide communications, PR, and marketing support to agri-businesses across the UK and Europe. 🇬🇧🇪🇺 What did you want to be when you grew up? 🤔 ✈️ An air hostess 📚 A librarian ✍🏼 Or a journalist My current job is, in parts, very close to journalism (with a lot of reading and a bit of air travel thrown in) so you could say I’m living the dream! 💫 How did you get into what you do? 🌱 Grew up in rural West Dorset Gained a Language and Communication degree at Cardiff Worked in the animal feed sector for 7 years Involved in YFC since my teens Married to a dairy farmer 💍🐄 Joined Reverberate in 2011 - the job required communication skills and knowledge of agriculture. 💬🚜 Our business supports communications within agri & food supply chains, and between agri-businesses and farmers. This includes strategic advice, launching new products, knowledge exchange through events, podcasts, etc. 🎤📣 Qualifications and Skills Needed: 👩🏼‍🏫 People person 👥 Ability to multitask 🤹🏼‍♀️ Good command of English 📝 Eye for detail 👀 Genuine interest in the agricultural industry 🚜 Understanding of how farmers think and feel 👩🏼‍🌾 #AgriPR #Communications #PublicRelations #Marketing #Agriculture #FarmingLife #RuralLiving #CareerGoals #DreamJob

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It's not just #palmoil that #EUDR covers... The legislation covers so much - check out our latest blog where we explore the impact on #coffee.

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In a brewing industry where hops are driving most of the conversation in terms of newer, more compelling flavours in beer, in my new feature for Craft Beer & Brewing I investigated the growing trend of breweries turning to heritage malt varieties so as to explore new dimensions of flavour in their own beers. I spoke to several brewers, including Toby Mackenzie at RedWillow, Danny Tapper at Beak and Gareth Young at Epochal, plus Alison Milne at Crafty Maltsters and Dr. David Griggs at Crisp Malt to find out how breweries are using these heritage malting barley varieties, what kind of results they're getting from them, and who's interested in drinking them. You can read the answers to those questions here: https://lnkd.in/ge6PsiSk

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Great news, but i'd love to know your thoughts, These results show an almost 29% reduction in added sugar consumption for chikdrem and 40% in adults. However, there's lurks a bigger risk: many have switched to artificially sweetened drinks, which are linked to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, gut disorders, and more. Producing more low-sugar options that are well-formulated, offering flavour without compromising health is the way forward, but big manufacturing needs to be all over this with better formulations and no get out of jail card for being hit with sugar tax by just replacing one 'bad' ingredient for another more fatal ingredient. Stevia glycosides and sucralose, are widely used as sugar substitutes in these low calorie /zero sugar drinks. While they help reduce calorie intake, they come with potential health risks: Stevia Glycosides: Digestive Issues: Can cause bloating, nausea, and diarrhea in some individuals. Blood Sugar Impact: Despite being non-caloric, studies suggest they negatively affect insulin and glucose levels. Gut Health: negatively affects gut microbiota, leading to digestive disorders. Metabolic Effects: Some studies link it to altered glucose and insulin responses, potentially increasing diabetes risk. Heat Instability: When heated,(pasteurised) it can break down into potentially harmful compounds. Our soft drinks are laced with these harmful sweeteners. do we solved one problem but created a bigger one. Overall, great results but it raises concern for what was the solution.. what are yout thoughts? . #Health #Nutrition #Wellness #PublicHealth

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Pleased that The Grocer has published my early thoughts on the government's new 'resilience group' for the food sector's reaction to #climatechange. It's in full below too. Oh. My. God. (think Janice from Friends). "Food industry bosses and the government have agreed to hold a series of talks to discuss measures to tackle the climate crisis," reports The Grocer. Big names from grocery, foodservice and farming will sit on the new 'resilience group'. Whoop-de-f'ing-doo. Is this really where we are?  The fact our future rests with such a hastily pulled together, reactive 'band' - which has a remit to "assess, manage and communicate risk in the mid to long-term” - makes me really (really) sad. My gut and head both say: this is the PR stunt to end all PR stunts. It's painful to read. Not only because of the reports, research and evidence (in spades) showing the climate-crisis was inevitable, with our food system brutally exposed. But also the detailed, nuanced and (occasionally) entertaining articles that I and others have delivered over the years (and the commissioning editors who have given us the space and resources to do so). Has our work been pointless? The millions of words, carefully researched and crafted, ignored? The food broadcaster and journalist Tim Hayward once referenced the (aptly-named) American writer Kurt Vonnegut as saying: "Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element of your style." I keep this on my desk and read it regularly before writing. But not regularly enough, it seems.  

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In the first of a new blog series we look at how intensive farming systems are hugely wasteful and damaging to both people and the planet and whether regenerative agriculture provides a solution? Intensive food systems and recent farming practices are wreaking havoc on human and planetary health. When it comes to biodiversity loss Britain has suffered greatly, losing the most flora and fauna species of all the G7 nations and more than many other countries, including China, while the nation's poor diet costs the NHS £11 billion annually We depend on biodiversity every single day, with pollinators estimated to be responsible for a third of the world's crop production. Therefore, it's vital for us to conserve nature while moving toward sufficient, permanent and equitable food production and consumption, which must be at the heart of true food security. Hand in hand with the issue of biodiversity loss is the colossal impact caused by our wasteful diets. The UK has the third cheapest food in the world. This has driven intensification and consolidation within the farming sector and alongside the rise of ultra-processed food has in turn precipitated the degradation of the UK's biodiversity and soils. History clearly reveals that consistently aiming for higher yield through ongoing intensification is economically and environmentally unviable. We would argue that sustainable outcomes are a more important measure than sheer yield quantity. As the Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford, Dieter Helm puts it; "What is unsustainable, cannot be sustained". Yet some people would have us believe that there's no choice other than inflicting greater intensification in our food and farming systems. But that's simply not true. There are viable, sustainable alternatives to this Machiavellian horror show. #proudtobeorganic #IGrowYourFood #IFOAMorganicseurope #regenerativefarming #ofgorganic #sustainability #agriculturebiologique #health #sustainablefarming #organicfarming #organic #organicfood #organiclife #UKorganic #organicresearchcentre #biodynamic #sustainabledevelopment #farmingforthefuture Paul Holmbeck  Eric Gall  Silvia L. Schmidt Vicki Hird  Sarah Compson  Alex Cullen  James Cashmore  Adam Forrest  Cristina Dimetto  Maria Taffurelli Adrian Carne Jim Manson  Steven Jacobs  Becky George  Debs Roberts  Jo Barron

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How can plant-based makers and retailers change the category’s fortunes? I explore the topic in my first piece for FoodNavigator

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So … is there such a thing as a #regenerative chicken? And can we scale it? The idea of less but better meat should extend to poultry shouldn’t it…? I’ve been reading about this concept in the rather excellent book edited by Joyce D'Silva and Carol McKenna (link in comments). The Tree-Range concept for example involves: - 28 days indoors - 42 days 100% outdoors (coops at night) ranging between 2 paddocks. - everything is based on what “the chickens need” (eg outside with trees and bushes) - nutrient baselining data looks promising too, compared to other poultry systems This is not just about the chickens: the system can incorporate 100-250 types of veg, fruit and nuts. It is also about creating a “business ecosystem” which “aggregates small farmers to create large-scale systems”. So far 68,000 broilers have been processed and marketed. Context: 287,000 #chickens are culled in the UK every single day. Duncan Williamson Sophie Peel Dr Vincent Walsh Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin RSPCA Assured­ CIWF - Better Chicken Commitment Celena Fernandez Sarah Hall Regenerative Agriculture Alliance Charlotte Bande Eating Better Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming

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Got a question about why industry levies are a policy focus? Or how they're designed & implemented? Highly recommend this by IPPR ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eCJuVAr7 Written by Mark Lloyd who worked in government for a decade+ incl leading policy development on soft drinks industry levy --- Some key take-outs: ↪️"No government will truly be able to tackle the UK’s productivity problems and secure the future of the NHS without addressing obesity - and the food we eat is a massive part of the equation" ↪️The wider economic costs of obesity may be as high as £98 billion – around 4 per cent of GDP ↪️The new government has recognised this context but does not yet have a bold policy toolkit in place

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Words + Pixels took on Paris 🇫🇷 - wine was drunk, cheese was eaten, The Seine was sailed, and the karaoke was…. well, butchered. We celebrated the last six months (which were epic) and recognised some huge personal wins - announcing a bunch of promotions in the process. So, meet the new bosses of W+P. Proud of you lot 👾 👏🏼 Don’t mess with Charlotte Simpson, our newest Account Director (and resident Jennifer Hudson impersonator). She’s running the show across some serious consumer and tech accounts. 👏🏼 Need something done? Claudia Jones probably already did it, and thought of all the other things you didn’t. She effortlessly steps into the role of Account Manager, obviously. 👏🏼 Moisés Gossain doesn’t just have impeccable style, his enviable black book makes him our go-to B2B publicist as he becomes our new Senior Media Executive. 👏🏼 All hail Senior Media and Influence Exec, Jasmine D., who basically brings the average ‘cool’ rating of our agency up by more than a few notches (and always has the best restaurant reccos). It’s been a bloody good H1. But, progression isn’t only measured in job titles. Across the board the entire team put in an absolute shift. Massive congrats to everyone for consistently growing and showing up to make the work, work. When it comes to growth though, we don’t shy away, hide behind fluffy objectives or create difficult conversations. We reward fairly, and when it’s due. The progression framework we created and launched last year ensures that - providing transparency on where you stand in your role, your salary bracket, how to grow and importantly, how to be accountable for your own career. So, H2, let’s be havin’ you!

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🍵 Tea Time! There is a narrative that has been floating around the industry for years now that says that requiring a processing licence to package and sell dried flower is an unfairly high barrier for micros that prevents them from succeeding. This narrative is entirely false 🚫 for two key reasons, which I will explain below. One of the key misconceptions is that obtaining a micro processing licence is a complex and costly process, discouraging many micros from even attempting. However, this is far from the truth. The process is not significantly more demanding than acquiring the initial micro cultivation licence, nor does it require much additional infrastructure. In fact, it's a straightforward process that many micros have successfully navigated. This final part is key because many continue to think that getting a micro processing licence requires significant infrastructure costs and space. But a processing licence can be as simple as a small room where you manually package dried flower, apply excise stamps, etc. If you have a small room in your facility to handle this, you have the space needed for a micro cultivation licence. Sure, you do need a QAP, but you can likely become your own QAP with fairly minimal qualifications. Many micros have taken this route and tell me they were surprised at how easy it was after putting it off for years in some cases.  This brings us to the second myth, which is that getting a micro processing licence is the key to more successfully selling products. This is not true because the real barrier to entry in this equation is not the micro processing licence; it’s all the requirements the provinces have to even be approved to sell in the first place. Understanding these requirements is crucial for success in the industry. The reality is that most provinces do not want to do business with a large number of small-batch producers, sending minimal and often inconsistent orders. They prefer to work with a smaller number of larger producers/processors; it’s just more efficient. On top of that, there are provincial requirements like recall insurance that small producers can often not handle on their own, a cost a processor/partner will be better able to handle. Having a marketing team in place is also incredibly important, and this is why even many micros with a processing licence still use a third-party processor/distributor. Even the idea that there could be a special licence for a stand-alone cultivator to sell products into the consumer market is entirely off the mark and why, years later, it has yet to go anywhere. It will never happen, and even if it did, it would not have the desired impact—because this is not and never has been the real barrier to entry into the provincial retail/consumer market.  Instead, it’s fixating on a fake problem which only serves to distract from finding the solutions at the provincial level. It's important to focus on the real challenges and work towards viable solutions.

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Love Bethany McDaniel's new pod #GroundedWellness and this session with Paul Greive. 🐔 Insightful breakdown on the meat industry myths and marketing tactics. 🌱 The importance of understanding “grass-fed” and “pasture-raised” labels. ❓ The concept of veganism vs. ethical meat consumption. 🌎 Transparency in farming practices and how it's essential for consumer trust. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Balancing work, family, and health. Check it out! #podcast #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #regenerativefoodsystems #entrepreneurship

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Are the strawberries you eat organic or conventionally grown? Does it matter?   We often hear that there are foods to buy organic and others to be more relaxed about…   And in fact I talk a lot about the dirty dozen and clean 15, as a sensible solution when budget is a problem. But as we are talking about #stress this month, I don’t think we can’t shy away from looking at the bigger picture.   ◼ To start with, I feel we tend to use the word “stress” in a very narrow way.  “I have a lot on, I feel stressed”. “I have not slept / I have not eaten / I don’t like my job….therefore I am stressed”.   ◼ This is fair enough, but we tend to exclude things which might have a more long-lasting effect on our body. 👉 What is the stress to our system, our body?   ◼ Ignoring anything else for now, for example, the number of #pesticides that we are constantly breathing, eating, drinking and applying on our body is a huge stressor to our body.   Ever thought about it in that way?   We can argue that a normally functioning body can detoxify those chemicals. Or maybe we think that while those very chemicals can kill insects, weeds and make our food look great in any season, we as superhumans are immune to that. ⚡ Fact it, there are already too many "forever chemicals" in our bodies. These cannot be easily “washed away”, if anything. ⚡ And when we think that the products that are most impacted are those our kids love the most, it even more sad: “of the 55 samples of UK-grown strawberries tested in 2022, 91% (50) contained residues of PFAS pesticides”. This article is worth a read: 'Forever chemicals' found in UK food - Pesticide Action Network UK (pan-uk.org)

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The Food Foundation annually creates a Plating up Progress report which aims to show which food organisations are driving standards higher when it comes to healthy and sustainable food. Whilst the report shows there’s still a lot to be done, we are so pleased to see Bidfood highlighted in the report as being the ‘most improved’ when it comes to data disclosure and reporting. Not only this, but the Food Foundation has carried out competitor benchmarking of wholesalers across nine different criteria, of which we’re proud to be leading in six areas. Check out our scorecards and the results here: https://bit.ly/3CCBS2s #BidfoodUK #Sustainability #PlatingUpProgress

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🌟 Welcome to this week's roundup! We've cultivated a 'harvest' of groundbreaking news that's 'planting' the seeds of innovation and 'cultivating' a brighter, greener future! 🚀 👇 Here are a few highlights, for the full spiel, subscribe at Edible Planet Ventures 😉 🌍 Global Brands and #PlasticPollution: New study reveals the role global brands play in exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis. 🌊 It's time for companies to step up their environmental game! 💪 KEY Energy Drink From Ketones: The buzz is real for this all-natural, ketone-based energy drink that's backed by AgFunder. Could this be the future of energy drinks? ⚡️ 🌿 Supergut on the Rise: The innovative solution for gut health is here! Supergut is redefining gut health and helping tackle cravings with GLP-1. 🍏 🌳 goodcarbon's Nature-Based Solutions: With fresh funding, goodcarbon's mission is to reach net zero goals through innovative nature-based solutions. 🌱 🚀 Pipedream Labs: Urban hyperlogistics is closer than you think! Pipedream Labs raises $13M to transform urban logistics. 📦 🍃 Edonia's Microalgae-Based Protein: With €2M secured, Edonia is driving forward with its game-changing microalgae-based protein development. 🥗 Vertical Harvest Farms: A hydroponic revolution in Maine is in the works with $59.5M secured for the farm of the future. 🏢 🌳 Treefera's Series A Success: AI is transforming nature-based asset management, thanks to Treefera's latest funding. 💡 🌱 USDA Approves Moolec Science: Genetically engineered soybeans by Moolec Science have USDA's green light. 🌿 🥖 Hellmann's Food Waste Solution: Check out '1352: Refreshed Sneakers,' fresh approach to battling food waste. 🍞 🐶 MicroHarvest partners with VEGDOG to Produce Innovative Treats: The future of pet nutrition looks bright with the rise of microbial protein treats. 🐾 🍽️ Ozempic's Impact on Restaurants: A new survey reveals over 60% of #Ozempic users are spending less on restaurants and food delivery. 📉 💼 If you want to stay ahead in the sustainability game, these are the trends and innovations to watch! more 🔗 t.ly/-GGTO

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