Conference Presentation at Profiting from Sustainability in York (UK) Dec 2014

1. Profiting from Sustainability
York Conference
10th December 2014

2. Profiting from Sustainability
Steve Cann
Future Food Solutions
York Conference
10th December 2014

3. Profiting from Sustainability…
Key Conference Questions:
• What do we mean by sustainability?
• What practical things can be done to improve the sustainability of our food
and farming supply chains?
• How do we make this happen?
• How do we create an “environmental premium” so everyone can benefit
from improved sustainability ?

4. Profiting from Sustainability
Paul Rhodes
Director
Future Food Solutions
York Conference
10th December 2014

5. Sustainable Farming – Why Bother?
Climate Change is causing
unpredictable weather resulting in
variable production now working in
tandem with spiralling population
growth.
We have one key challenge:
How to produce more food from less
resources.
“More with Less”.

6. Some Global Food Facts….
• World consumption of meat increased almost six-fold between 1950 and
2010
• Global fish consumption per person has tripled since 1950
• Global poultry consumption increased by an average 4% per annum
between 1990 and 2010
• Meat consumption in China increased more than seven-fold between 1975
and 2010
• Egg consumption in China increased four-fold between 1990 and 2010
• India’s milk production has increased almost six-fold since 1970

7. Sustainable Farming – Why Bother?
• We only have one planet….
• As farmers and custodians of the land, we can make a real difference,
locally and globally
• Sustainable farming using the latest technology and farming practices is
good business and should improve profits – therefore a win, win
• Sustainability is important to our customers and their shareholders
• Sustainability is important to our customers’ customers so we need to
develop an “environmental premium” for sustainable food production

8. Sustainable Farming Groups
The Aim
To bring together, farmers, food companies and research facilities to build a
more sustainable, profitable and collaborative agri-food industry.
To share best practice, disseminate latest technology, and then create linkages
which help to develop a sustainable competitive advantage for agri-food
businesses, whilst reducing the impact of supply chain activity on the
environment.
To create a structure and business culture that is conducive to investment,
growth and developing the innovative solutions to the challenges we face.

9. Potential Forum Topics
• Supply chain collaboration
• Improving crop yields
• Reducing entire supply chain carbon footprint
• Improving soil structure
• Improving bio-diversity – bee friendly farming
• Precision farming/fertiliser/agri-chemical utilisation
• Waste reduction
• Co-product utilisation
• Plant breeding and genetics

10. Next Steps - How to Get involved
• From today we will Identify 3 sets of 8-12 farmers keen to be involved in
locally themed, product focused, farmer groups
• Hold initial facilitated group meetings with a standard agenda. Get
commitment to a plan and create group aims and goals. Develop a
programme to help deliver this plan.
• Run 3 meetings for each group over the winter period to include expert
speakers e.g. agronomist, soil scientists, precision farming
• Guidance on self assessment to help identify current status
• During May hold a facilitated feedback session bringing the groups together
to share findings, successes, practical ideas and case studies
• Plan the way forward…

11. Sustainable Farming Groups
Benefits to Farmers…
• Improved Supply Chain linkage
• Route to production and quality improvements
• Access to comparator metrics and benchmarking
• Establishing an entry point to R&D and new thinking
• Premium Added Value opportunity
• Sharing best practice and knowledge transfer

12. •
Profiting from Sustainability
Questions
Prize draw
Lunch
Many thanks for attending the conference
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