A YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) the go-to organisation for the delivery of more sustainable food and farming Our Vision Our Mission Our Work A world that is farming, eating and To inspire and enable sustainable We work to develop and promote Integrated living sustainably. farming that is prosperous, enriches Farm Management in three core pillars: the environment and engages local • Facilitating knowledge generation and communities. exchange • Developing market opportunities through LEAF Marque • Educating and engaging the public in sustainable food and farming. To learn more about what we do visit leafuk.org/about-leaf/what-we-do Take Control of your Nutrient Decisions Take control with Yara’s wide range of tools and services: • Understand your soil through regular testing with Yara’s Analytical Services • Apply the right nutrients at the right time with Yara N-Sensor and N-Tester • Access the latest Agronomy advice online @Yara_UK f Yara UK Ltd [email protected] www www.yara.co.uk From the Honorary President LEAF’s work in developing, demonstrating and communicating about more sustainable farming is of vital importance. Never more so for our young people. Engaging future generations about how their food is produced and where it comes from is critical, both to the future of the agricultural industry as well as for their own health and wellbeing. During 2018, LEAF Education commissioned a pioneering research programme to encourage better teenager engagement in farming and food production. This is helping the farming industry define how it becomes more relevant to the next generation, addressing the issues they care about and igniting their interest in the sector’s career opportunities. I was delighted to attend LEAF Education’s Teenager Engagement Day and privileged to talk to young people about their views, beliefs and values in relation to food, farming and the countryside. It was a truly inspiring day, representing an important first step in ensuring their voice is heard. LEAF’s work in promoting more sustainable farming and strengthening everybody’s connection with farming and food production, is helping promote healthier lifestyles, nurturing interest in the natural world and building a sense of our own personal responsibility in protecting it. I greatly look forward to supporting LEAF’s exciting and inspiring work in 2019. LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND FARMING From the Chairman Looking back on my first year as Our annual conference made us all Chairman of LEAF, I am amazed at the realise just how vulnerable our food breadth of activity the organisation supply chains are with the global undertakes. The influence and impact demand for food increasing by 60% we have at every level, whether it be within the next 30 years. Potentially, in our detailed response to ‘Health this will have to come from a smaller and Harmony’, further development production area, using fewer inputs, of more sustainable food and farming producing less waste and enhancing systems or public engagement, we our natural environmental assets. The are there, delivering our vision of ‘a challenges ahead are enormous. world that is farming, eating and living sustainably’. I am greatly looking forward to another busy year ahead; we have 2019 will be the start of a new era for great ambitions and a capable team to our farming industry. One where LEAF deliver them. I am extremely proud of will have a vital role to play, whether everything LEAF achieves and my thanks that is supporting farmers to deliver go to Caroline and her team for all they more sustainable production systems do to support our farmer members in that will meet the Government’s delivering more sustainable farming. new environmental agenda, or the continued recognition of LEAF Marque Philip Wynn as the leading environmental assurance system ensuring high standards are upheld here in the UK and around the globe. LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND FARMING Gs LEAF ad_2018_FINAL.indd 1 09/11/2018 10:49:01 From the Chief Executive How true Thomas Jefferson’s quote LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management remains over 230 years later. The addresses many of the public goods importance of farming providing referred to in both the Agriculture Bill our food, managing much of our and the 25 Year Environment Plan, biodiversity, acting as part of the including more sustainable water and solution to climate change mitigation, soil management, animal welfare, fashioning our landscapes and enhancement of biodiversity and access contributing to our rural infrastructure. to the countryside. We also understand only too well the importance of ensuring One thing is certain, finding stability and people understand and appreciate clarity in this volatile world will require what farmers deliver. This year’s LEAF vision, innovation and belief. Our Open Farm Sunday saw nearly 300,000 members and LEAF Marque certified people visit a farm to learn about farmers and growers are well placed farming and food production. to build the resilience and productivity of their businesses, delivering a wide I am immensely proud of what we have range of public goods and critically, achieved this year. My thanks to our “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, being recognised for doing so. Chairmen, Trustees, the LEAF Network, because it will, in the end, contribute LEAF’s time is now. With the our members, supporters and staff most to real wealth, good morals, and environment featuring strongly in for their continued commitment, hard work and inspiration. There are happiness.” the new Agriculture Bill together with measures to strengthen the huge opportunities ahead and we are (letter from Thomas Jefferson to transparency of supply chains, our LEAF determined to build a more resilient George Washington 1787) Network and LEAF Marque assurance future for all. system will be critical as we develop Caroline Drummond, MBE post-Brexit agriculture policy. LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND FARMING The year at a glance CEDAR becomes a LEAF Innovation Centre Spring 2018 New Chairmen for LEAF and LEAF We continue to lead the way knowledge around soil and water Marque, Philip Wynn (left) and Tom in driving IFM research and management. Green development through our LEAF Network. We were delighted to Our third LEAF Marque Summit welcome The Centre for Dairy explored the role of assurance Research (CEDAR) as a LEAF systems in delivering positive Innovation Centre – joining changes in global food and farming a select group of some of the systems. Kindly supported by country’s most prestigious Waitrose, some hugely inspiring education and research speakers from across the food, organisations, set up to support farming and research sectors the development of IFM and help raised the discussion around our members to turn agricultural the efficiency, transparency and innovations into commercial impact of assurance schemes. opportunities. Finally, we welcomed Philip Wynn Equipping farmers with the latest as our new Chairman, who took skills and know-how around over from Stephen Fell. Philip has a sustainable farming is at the heart long connection with LEAF, having of LEAF. We were pleased to hold been manager of one of LEAF’s first a number of technical training Demonstration Farms. events on LEAF Demonstration Farms in partnership with ARTIS, to inspire farmers and build their Speakers at this year’s LEAF Marque Summit Environment Minister Michael Gove MP visits Tuesley Farm on LEAF Open Farm Sunday Summer 2018 We work to transform the way A record breaking 293,650 children and young people learn people visited farms on LEAF about farming. Our visionary Open Farm Sunday – the highest approach to education and public ever number since we started the engagement has been further campaign. Nearly 400 farms took strengthened with our merger part, showcasing the breadth and with FACE last year, culminating diversity of British agriculture and in the launch of LEAF Education connecting people with farming at a reception in the House of and where their food comes from. Commons, hosted by George A truly spectacular day for the Freeman MP and attended by whole industry to be proud of. food and farming minister, George We further strengthened the Eustice MP. LEAF Network with two new A key priority for LEAF Education sites – NIAB EMR – the UK’s is opening young people’s minds to largest horticultural research what farming delivers and the many and development organisation career opportunities available and Blackbird Farming, an arable in the agri-sector. We were very sheep and fruit farm in Kent. As pleased to run our first national Network Sites, they are critical schools farming competition in to advancing knowledge around LEAF Education’s inaugural more sustainable farming and farming competition at Llysfasi partnership with Coleg Cambria’s driving uptake. College Caroline Drummond receives an Llysfasi College, which immersed Honorary Fellowship from the Royal students and their teachers in a Agricultural University weekend of farm-related activities. LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND FARMING To view a selection of videos from 2018 visit leafuk.org/news-and-media/video-library The year at a glance Launch of A.J and C.I Snell a LEAF Demonstration Farm Autumn 2018 As part of our drive to better engage We were delighted to welcome two LEAF Education working with students from Brockhill Park school teenagers with farming, food and new Demonstration Farms - A.J the countryside, LEAF Education and C.I Snell in Herefordshire, one commissioned a pioneering of the UK’s leading fresh and frozen research programme, supported soft fruit growing businesses and by Rothamsted Research, involving Bowhill Farming Ltd, a mixed hill/ over a thousand 12 to 18 year upland enterprise in the Scottish olds, to explore their ideas around Borders. They join over 35 farms farming, food production and the across the UK showcasing the very natural environment.