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UK food industry unites to ensure all soy is deforestation and conversion free in landmark agreement

Nearly 40 leading UK food companies and soy supply companies announce landmark set of actions to work together towards ensuring all soy used in animal feed in the UK being deforestation free.

The move comes on the first anniversary of the UK Soy Manifesto and will help protect some of the world’s most valuable forests and natural habitats.

UK Soy Manifesto signatories include 38 brands, retailers, food service companies and livestock producers operating in the UK such as Tesco, Waitrose, Nando’s, KFC UK and Ireland, Lidl and McDonald’s UK and Ireland.

38 leading UK food producers, representing almost 60% of the UK’s soy consumption, and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), representing the four major soy importers and the animal feed industry, have today set out a series of comprehensive actions to deliver on the aims of the UK Soy Manifesto. An ambitious commitment which aims to move all UK soy imports to being free from deforestation and conversion.

Acknowledging that mainstream transformation on this scale can't be achieved by companies working within their individual supply chains alone, all businesses along the supply chain, from soy producers to retailers and brands, will take responsibility and act together. This announcement demonstrates the group’s commitment to collective, cross supply chain action with agreement to:

Produce a quarterly soy deforestation risk register for UK soy imports, tracking the UK’s progress in the importation of deforestation and conversion free soy.

Agreeing a joint transition plan, coordinated by a high-level cross supply chain governance group, with support of expert stakeholders to monitor and review the transition, ensuring the risk and responsibilities are shared.

A key element of the transition plan will be to ensure UK companies producing and selling meat and dairy products (using soy in animal feed) have a practical mechanism to specify that they require deforestation and conversion free soy, with robust checks and controls to assure standards are met. That’s why this announcement critically includes:

a commitment from AIC to develop a new verified deforestation and conversion free (vDCF) standard for the UK which will be independently verified

Together, these actions will ensure Signatory companies can turn their ambitions into practical actions, supporting a mass market move to deforestation and conversion free soy use in the UK that would have been difficult to achieve even just a year ago. 

This package of measures provides the building blocks for this transition, recognising the need to accelerate the pace of action to protect forests, balanced with the need to support the livelihoods of farmers in the UK and abroad and maintain strong resilient supplies of this critical raw material in challenging market conditions.

James McCulloch, Head of feed sector AIC said: "The AIC Soy Supply Group commitment to providing quarterly data for a UK risk register is significant as the group is the sole source of data on what is shipped and sold to the UK as vDCF. 

"The data helps all parties involved understand the progress that has been made and focusses attention and resource on areas where there is still work to be done. Whilst market challenges are real, our industry remains committed to delivering DCF soy and sustainable supply chains."

"Around the world nature is in freefall, and unsustainable agriculture is driving its catastrophic decline. To protect precious natural habitats like the Cerrado in Brazil, we must urgently ensure soy imported to the UK is not driving the destruction of nature overseas."

Given that almost a quarter (23%) of global human-caused greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, forestry, and other land uses, and most of these emissions are due to deforestation this announcement is well timed as countries come together to meet in Sharm-El-Sheikh for COP27.

Many countries and companies made bold commitments last year at COP26, hosted by the UK in Glasgow. Together governments of producer and consumer countries committed to promote sustainable development and trade while protecting forests and other critical natural habitats, through the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue (FACT) Joint Statement and Roadmap For Action. The development of the UK Soy Manifesto, alongside today’s announcement are key, practical steps that will helps to deliver on these ambitions, consistent with a 1.5-degree pathway.

As well as the commitments announced today, Signatory members are also calling for global markets to provide financial incentives and technical support to boost sustainable production. UK supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, for example, have invested US$ 11 million in the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF), a new system of financial incentives for farmers in Brazil who commit to deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) soy cultivation. Governments in producer and consumer countries and regions also have an important role to play. Ensuring environmental legislation that protects ecosystems are enforced at source, and that downstream companies are obligated to undertake due diligence on their use of forest risk commodities will be key.

David Edwards, Director of Food Strategy at WWF said: "Today’s announcement – the product of collective action across the supply chain, including retailers, traders and suppliers – has the potential to drive the long overdue actions the soy sector so urgently requires. But, to ensure it delivers for nature and climate, we urgently need to see an explicit roadmap for implementation to meet the 2025 ambition - including measurable milestones to track progress, and a clear focus on bringing the rest of the sector on board."

Ashwin Prasad, Chief Product Officer at Tesco said: "We’re absolutely committed to ensuring we meet our target of sourcing soy from whole areas verified as deforestation-free by 2025, and the launch of the UK Soy Manifesto last year marked a significant milestone on that journey. We’ve made good progress this year with the introduction of the Responsible Commodities Facility, which provides direct support to soy farmers in Brazil, but we can’t solve the issue alone."

"It’s vital we bring together retailers, brands, food service companies, livestock producers and soy traders themselves to set out a clear pathway to achieving our goal of guaranteeing all soy imported into the UK is deforestation free by 2025."

The UK Soy Manifesto aligns with and builds upon similar initiatives in other markets such as the French Soy Manifesto, to show increasing demand and action plans from industry on removing all deforestation and ecosystem destruction from soy supply chains.

Following this announcement, the national soy profile is expected to become publicly available in April 2023. Details of the joint transition plan will be made available on the UK Soy Manifesto website.

The UK Soy Manifesto is facilitated by Efeca, the convenor of the UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Soya and collectively led by all its industry signatories. Other civil society organisations (including WWF and Global Canopy), consultancies and research/academia partners provide support to the Manifesto.

To learn more about the UK Soy Manifesto, visit www.uksoymanifesto.uk.

The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is the agrisupply industry’s leading trade association. AIC has over 230 Members in the agrisupply trade and aims to promote the benefits of modern commercial agriculture in the UK and support collaboration throughout the food chain. AIC members represent 90% of the animal feed sector and grain and oilseed sectors. AIC has established the Soy Supply Group to take this work forward, comprising of representatives from the four main soy imports to the UK: ADM, Cargill, Cefetra and Viterra.

The current full list of signatories to the UK Manifesto includes:

2 Sisters Food Group

ABP UK

Aldi GB

Avara Foods

Bakkavor

Compleat Food Group

Co-op

Cranswick Plc

Danish Crown

Danone UK and Ireland

Dew Valley

Dunbia

Foyle Food Group

Greencore Group Plc

Greggs

Gressingham Foods

Hilton Food Group Plc

Iceland Foods Ltd

Kepak Group

KFC UK & Ireland

Labeyrie Fine Foods (Lyons Seafood and Farne of Scotland)

Lidl GB

Marks and Spencer

McDonald's UK & Ireland

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd

Moy Park

Müller UK and Ireland

Nando’s UK & Ireland

Princes

Ocado

Oscar Mayer

Pilgrim’s UK

Sainsburys

Samworth Brothers

Seafresh Group

Tesco Plc

Waitrose & Partners

Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs

The Manifesto is supported by other leading sector and trade associations representing the broader livestock industry including:

British and Irish Associations of Zoos & Aquariums (BIAZA)

British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)

British Egg Industry Council (BEIC)

British Retail Consortium (BRC)

Chilled Food Association (CFA)

Dairy UK

National Pig Association

National Farmers Union

Red Tractor

Sustainable Restaurant Association

To learn more about existing UK industry action on sustainable soy visit:

UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya

Retail Soy Group

Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition

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Farming with the Environment - Thirty Years of Allerton Project Research

A new book by agro-ecologist Professor Chris Stoate (pictured) tells the remarkable story of the Allerton Project in Leicestershire and its pioneering research into sustainable land management.

For over three decades the Allerton Project, established by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), has been at the cutting edge of research into sustainable farming methods, biodiversity and habitat creation, and rural landscape management. 

Combining a modern, productive farm with a full-time research team, the Allerton Project has advised farmers and influenced policy decisions since its inception.

Farming with the Environment presents and discusses 30 years of research into the challenges of integrating profitable farming with often competing environmental and societal objectives. The book is especially relevant to the implementation of the government’s Environmental Land Management scheme.

“The book draws together peer-reviewed research and some as yet unpublished work to tell a coherent story about the effects of different farming methods on wildlife and the environment that is very relevant to the development of current policy,” said Chris Stoate.

Topics included in the book are soil health and management, farmland ecology, development of management practices to enhance biodiversity, natural flood management, water quality and aquatic ecology.

The book is designed to provide accessible guidance and recommendations to farmers, conservationists and policymakers alike. 

It reveals complex topical debates about land and wildlife management, examining the historical context and pointing the way for future direction of travel.

“I hope I have demonstrated how the findings of the Allerton Project’s research relate to agricultural and conservation policy more broadly as well as how they are applicable to similar projects throughout Europe,” said Chris.

“The book is also a celebration of the collaboration between the Allerton Project’s small research team and the many PhD students, research organisations, universities and NGOs we have had the privilege of working with over thirty years.”

Farming with the Environment – Thirty Years of Allerton Project Research, is published by Routledge and available from the GWCT Shop www.gwctshop.org.uk for £29.99.

This will make an ideal Christmas gift for those involved in farming and agriculture. 

Flower Farm Spread. Tastes great, saves the planet.

Flower Farm Spread should be on everyone's lips in more ways than one. It tastes absolutely great but not only that it's also a greener and kinder spread than you might be used to buying. Please let me explain why.

The health benefits from eating spreads made with palm oil are real. But at what cost? Because palm oil deforestation is a very real concern and the loss of habitat is a dreadful scandal as it is further endangering already at risk animals such as the orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino.

But this is where Flower Farm Spread comes into its own. It doesn't use any palm oil, it is made with rapeseed oil, shea butter, some water, some lemon juice, some sea salt (not much!) some carrot juice, pectins some vitamin and and d and some natural flavouring.

The interesting fact about Shea butter is that it is a fully sustainable crop grown in Africa which does not require any deforestation or intensive farming.

Who is the person behind The Flower Farm? Meet Marcel van Wing, who, after witnessing first-hand the destruction of the tropical rainforest, realised that something had to be done to address this issue.

Marcel said: “The Flower Farm grew out of my personal love for the rainforest. I lived in Indonesia for four years and saw with my own eyes the devasting damage to the rainforest for the construction of palm oil plantations. And yet still, this continues. 

"The Flower Farm is a member of the Global Shea Alliance, a non-profit organisation dedicated to shea sustainability. It also supports Orangutan Rescue, a non-profit which focuses on relocating endangered orangutans to a safe area of rainforest."

To learn more about The Flower Farm visit them at https://theflowerfarm.world.

Not only is it a great tasting spread it's also absolutely excellent in baking and cooking and my wife has declared it "absolutely brilliant for making light, delicious pastry and wonderful cakes! I give it my thumbs up!"

It comes in regular and light versions.

And here is a recipe created by my wife which you can try with Flower Farm Spread or "Eat Plants Free of Palm" as it says on every tub.

This one is called "Anni's Vodka Cherry 'Baked Well' cake."

It requires 175g of Flower Farms Spread

175g of dark brown sugar

225g of Plain flour

3 eggs

1tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp ginger

550g of luxury dried mixed fruit

400g of  cherries

100g chopped almonds

zest of an orange

zest of a lemon

150ml of Vodka

Pre-heat your oven to 160C 325F or Gas Mark 3.

Cream together the margarine and the sugar. Beat the eggs and add the egg mixture a little at a time, mixing well.

In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients together, then carefully fold this into the cake mix and stir well.

Add the dried fruit and 200g of the cherries to the mixture and make sure they are thoroughly mixed in. For a better result you could mix 100g of the cherries and the dried fruit and marinate them in the Vodka overnight. If you can't do this, just pour the Vodka into the mix once the dried fruits have been added and mix well.

Place the cake mix into a greased and papered cake tin (the Aldi one shown in the pictures is ideal)     and put the remaining 200g of cherries on the top of the cake and put it in the oven for approximately two hours.

After two hours test the cake with a skewer. When it comes out clean, the baking is complete.

If it starts to look a little too brown, cover it with some aluminium baking foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least an hour before you  remove it from the cake tin.

At this stage you can add more Vodka to the top of the cake. You can also prick the cake in several places to ensure that the cake is well fed with the additional Vodka.

For a bit off added decadence serve the cake with shots of chilled Vodka straight from the  freezer!

At present it's available throughout Holland and also in Booth's stores in the UK https://www.booths.co.uk.

If you would like to stock Flower Farm Spread please contact them at 

https://theflowerfarm.world/en/contact.

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England's Northernmost Distillery Launches Its Inaugural Whisky Blend

Ad Gefrin, a ground-breaking Anglo-Saxon Museum and Distillery located in Wooler, Northumberland, is pleased and excited to announce the launch of its inaugural whisky blend. Ahead of Ad Gefrin opening next year, the release of Tácnbora this month (November) aptly reflects a brand built on ancient hospitality and bringing everyone together; combining Scottish and Irish whiskies made for enjoying with others.

Opening in February 2023, Ad Gefrin will comprise a £14m world-class visitor experience revealing the fascinating history of Northumberland's Anglo-Saxon 'Golden Age'. The immersive museum will showcase the court of the 7th Century Northumbrian kings and queens that drew people from all over the world to visit their summer palace nearby. One of the most exciting facets of Ad Gefrin is the complete integration of museum experience and whisky distillery - the county's first (legal) distillery in 200 years. 

Tácnbora, which means 'Standard Bearer' in Old English, is a fitting name for the spirit that comes before all the others. The Venerable Bede records that King Edwin was always preceded by a standard bearer carrying a standard with a goat's head effigy, and that goat symbol is now central to Ad Gefrin's brand marque. The whisky blend will pave the way for the distillery's Ad Gefrin Single Malt in years to come

The Tácnbora whisky blend features Scottish and Irish whiskies, reflecting two of the peoples that would have made up the Anglo-Saxons of Northumbria (Scottish, Irish, English and Scandinavian). Future editions will reflect different pairings.

As for all four nationalities, Ad Gefrin are saving the option of bringing all four together for its exclusive blend for their Corenkyn (meaning 'Chosen Family' in Old English) founding members. Tácnbora has a strong Northumbrian provenance; the intertwining of the past and present, cultures and landscape, to bring people together to share.

Tácnbora is made with a mix of malt and grain whiskies and aged in virgin American oak and Oloroso sherry casks, creating a distinctive and palatable spirit. On the nose, it has notes of honey, vanilla, candied citrus peel and spices, backed up on the palate with the flavours of sultanas, cream soda and nutmeg. The finish lingers and coats the mouth with the tastes of honey, vanilla and sweet citrus.

The Distillery team brings youth, passion and energy together under the leadership of rising star Ben Murphy, Director of Distilling. Ben has enjoyed successful stints as Head Distiller at Berentsens Brygghus, Egersund, Norway; and at Poetic License Distillery in Sunderland.

Ben is passionate about traditional methodologies but not afraid to be innovative, either. Joining him is Craig Stock, a Canadian with diverse experience latterly at Durham Distillery; and recent postgraduate from Heriot Watt University's Institute of Brewing and Distilling, Germano Molinari of Sambucca heritage. 

Whilst this is an exciting young team, Ad Gefrin enjoys an enviable level of knowledge and wisdom being invested in its whisky with non-executive whisky royalty on board through Alan Rutherford, former President of the Malt Distillers Association of Scotland, and Council Member of the Scotch Whisky Association and recipient of an OBE for his 'services to whisky'.

Tácnbora is now available to purchase online for £42.50/70cl.

www.adgefrin.co.uk.

Incidentally as a totally new whisky blend Tácnbora will make an ideal Christmas gift for the whisky aficionados in your life. 

Start-Up Free-from Brand Crave Win - Channel 4 TV Show and Aldi Listing

Rob Brice, founder of Crave is celebrating the enormous achievement of winning a TV competition which rewards the category winners with a listing in retail giant Aldi.

The Store Cupboard episode of the Channel 4 TV Show Aldi's Next Big Thing aired last night (17th November) and follows British food and drink start-ups who are looking to become the next big thing.  

Rob Brice and his free-from brand Crave successfully made it through the initial assessment rounds of the competition before making it to the final in the store cupboard category. “We almost didn't enter, as we thought they'd  be looking for artisan foods, and we didn't think a vegan and free-from brand was what they were after but what the hell. They can only say no right? So, we entered online and thought nothing of it”, says Crave founder Rob Brice. 

Having launched Crave in 2020, Rob set out to develop tasty foods which are allergen free so nobody need miss out. Having began with two very successful free-from chocolate bars, Rob then went on to launch the snacks, Pickled Onion Monster Feet and Smokey Flavoured Streakers. “My inspiration for Crave was seeing that so many free-from foods were either bland and boring or firmly focussed on health, so I wanted to shake things up a bit, bring bold flavour and add a bit of fun.” 

Having passed the initial assessment rounds, Crave was invited to Aldi HQ to present products to Julie Ashfield, who is the Managing Director of Buying at Aldi. 

“All I had to do was present some of our snacks, I think our pitch went down well and we tried to get across who we are and how we like to do things a bit differently. We always say "we stand out, so you fit in", so that's what we tried to do! 

“The whole filming experience was surreal and unreal! As a start-up brand we were pinching ourselves to even have this opportunity and potential exposure on TV. It's a money can't buy sort of thing for us, and we were super happy to have got that far!” 

After a successful presentation to the Aldi team, Crave was then selected as one of two brands in the store cupboard category to be announced as finalists. The next stage of the process required them to come up with a brand-new product complete with a packaging design within two weeks. 

Crave's new product development resulted in a maize snack with a Flamin' Hot flavour; Wots'inits are of course gluten free, lactose free and vegan, developed as an 80g share bag as well as a smaller multi pack option. 

“We travelled back for the final and presented our new product to the team, lots of work had gone into it, the packaging and product itself. To then hear Julie call our name out as the winner of our category. Well, I was gobsmacked. I turned to my fiancé, open mouthed and both of us immediately burst into tears.”  

The winning products from Aldi's Next Big Thing will appear as Specialbuys in stores nationwide.  

“The listing in Aldi for us is huge, our biggest order to date and we hope the start of a beautiful relationship! The Aldi team have been great to deal with and we like to think they get Crave, what we're about and what we're trying to do. 

“It goes to show vegan and free-from can be in the mainstream. Julie and the team loved that Crave is all about delivering those normal food products that people may be missing out on, they loved our cheeky tone of voice and what we do.” 

Winners of the other categories include:  

Dinners episode: Mud Foods Chip Shop Chicken Curry Pie

Bakery episode: Harrison & Griffiths Rum Cake

Healthy & Wholesome episode: Freddie's Farm Fruit Shapes

Fresh & Deli episode: The Greek Farmer Charcuterie

Crave's Pickled Onion Monster Feet will be on shelves from today, along with the brand's Smokey Flavoured Streakers. But shoppers need to get in quick to get a chance to try, as with all Specialbuys, once they're gone, they're gone!