Western Morning News (Saturday)
Harvest for the world
On Earth Day, Martin Hesp highlights some of the West food and drink producers putting the environment and sustainability at the heart of their businesses
Today is Earth Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about environmental protection and promoting sustainable living. And the subject of food and drink comes right at the top of the agenda every April 22 because one of the most significant ways to contribute to a greener planet is by being thoughtful about the stuff that fuels our lives.
The average Brit spends one fifth of their income on food and drink, which is a great deal of spending power – a major and influential part of the economy which can make a big difference when it comes to the environment and the future of our planet. The choices we make when filling up the shopping trolley can have an enormous impact one way or the other – so it is worth taking the trouble on this, of all days, to think about the purchasing decisions we make.
Buying locally-grown and seasonal food is one of the most effective ways to become a more environmentally aware consumer – and one which we, in the fertile Westcountry, should have no difficulty in adopting. Buying local supports our local economy while reducing our carbon footprint. Produce travels much shorter distances to reach our tables, which means fewer emissions from transportation. Added to that, seasonal fruits and vegetables are often fresher, tastier, and more nutritious.
Of course, choosing sustainably produced products can also, of course, make a big difference. Regenerately-farmed or organic production avoids the use of harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, which obviously helps protects the environment and preserves biodiversity.
Look up Earth Day on the internet and you will also see calls for consumers to eat less meat and dairy – but there’s also a massive counter-movement which believes that careful and thoughtful (and often traditional) farming methods such as the ones employed in what’s known as “regenerative” agriculture can produce high quality foodstuffs while avoiding harm to – or even benefiting – nature and the environment.
Cornwall’s Trewithen Dairy is a case in point. The company is going the extra mile to find out how regenerative practises can help it to produce high-quality products like milk and cream while helping to preserve the unique landscapes and natural environment west of the Tamar.
Another company which is thinking long and hard about the environment and sustainability is Matthews Cotswold Flour, Britain’s leading speciality flour producer. It works closely with local farms which have embraced regenerative farming techniques.
Managing director Bertie Matthews told us: “We are at a turning point in making a tangible difference to our soils and wider environments. Sustaining the current food system is not enough. Regenerating our soils through ‘regenerative agriculture’ is the future. ‘Regen Ag’ is a term that refers to a model of growing food that improves biodiversity and soil organic matter. At its centre are a number of core principles around improving soil fertility, biodiversity, water retention and cleanliness, minimising soil disturbance and enhancing nutrient cycling.
“Our duty as food producers and flour millers over the next 10 years is to mill grain from a regenerative farming system. We will focus on working with businesses that consider Regen Ag’s principles to be at their core.”
If milk and flour can be regarded as staples, then so, too – in the Westcountry at least – can cider. And when it comes to Earth Day and every other day of the year, the award-winning cider company Sandford Orchards believes that drinking its basic product is a more sustainable option than consuming most other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
“Why? Because our natural, low-impact approach to producing cider is good for soil health and wildlife diversity. It also has a short supply chain and uses a lot less energy and water than many of its counterparts,” says Sandford Orchards’ chief cider-maker, Barny Butterfield.
“Starting from the ground up, our apples grow in local orchards, many of which contain diverse and often historic apple trees. Once planted, the soil in these orchards remains untouched, often for centuries, allowing the natural drawdown of carbon into the earth. Undisturbed soils are better for natural fungi, small and large invertebrates, burrowing insects, small mammals and all the greater food web that relies on them. Healthy soils are the super-power at the heart of any thriving ecosystem.”
Barny continues: “The apple trees are fantastic carbon sinks, too. The deep roots, the trunk and branches all lock in carbon, as do the leaves and unharvested fruit.
“They are also an amazing food source for a huge range of creatures. During blossom time, a 20 acre orchard serves up 900kg of nectar and 3.5 tons of pollen and the apples, both on the tree and later on the ground, all provide a hugely welcome larder for insects, birds, bats, hedgehogs mice, voles, owls, foxes, badgers and more.”
Of course, the packaging in which our food and drink is delivered is a big issue, past present or future. And Trewithen Dairy is also helping to lead the charge when it comes to a more environmentally-friendly way of delivering its core product, milk. The family-run dairy has installed more than 150 refillable milk stations across the region and beyond in its bid to encourage less single-use plastic.
“We have invested in the technology as a way of offering people quality, affordable, high-welfare produce while reducing the amount of single-use plastic being created,” said a spokesman. “Customers can use one of their own suitable containers, or buy a Trewithen Dairy reusable one-litre glass bottle at each station, which should be washed in soapy water at home between each refill.”
The packaging of food and drink is obviously a massive issue when it comes to an event like Earth Day. The need to reduce single-use plastic is abundantly clear – a recent global analysis called “Breaking the Plastic Wave” found that by 2040, ocean-bound plastic will have tripled unless drastic measures are taken. The good news is that if we take significant action now, this amount can be reduced by 80%.
The shift to reusable packaging offers consumers a way to do their bit in the most effective, easy and affordable way – and my colleagues at RAW Food and Drink PR have identified other South West businesses which are developing positive solutions.
Neil Graham, owner of Devonia Water, has been motivated by tackling single-use plastic
solutions since he bought the business back in 2014. Devonia is the only spring water company in the south of England with a business model centred around continuously reusing glass bottles. Over 20 years, the company has saved a staggering 163 tonnes of glass from going to landfill, by collecting and reusing its water bottles from hotels, pubs, cafes, restaurants, special events and private customers across Devon.
Since the start of 2022, Devonia has sold 336,000 bottles of water and reused an impressive 285,000, with a reuse rate of 90%. Washing and refilling the bottles uses just six per cent of the energy required to recycle glass, reducing CO2 by 94%. And, of course, it doesn’t generate any plastic pollution that would ultimately go into the world’s oceans.
Salcombe Distilling Co gives its customers a chance to refill their empty Salcombe Gin bottles with award-winning Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ or Salcombe Gin ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’ and receive a 20% discount. The refill scheme is available at Exeter-based Darts Farm, its own Dartmouth and Salcombe stores and also Barrel & Still in Kingsbridge.
The refilling stations are just one of the company’s environmentallyconscious initiatives. SDCo also has its “1% for the Ocean” programme which sees one per cent of the revenue for every 50cl and 70cl bottle of New London Light and Salcombe Gin being donated to the Marine Conservation Society’s ocean recovery projects.
The company also uses a carbon neutral shipping service – and it has eliminated all single-use plastic from its packaging, instead opting for sustainable alternatives such as biodegradable tamper-proof seals made from sweetcorn husk and sugarcane.
Nearby, Salcombe Brewery Co is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment. In an effort to encourage waste minimisation, the company has introduced a scheme where visitors to the brewery can fill up a container of their choice with beer. From milk bottles to growlers, they have had many weird and wonderful vessels used.
Also in the South Hams, the award-winning rum blender Hattiers became the UK’s first B Corp certified rum company – a certification which is only given to businesses pursing the highest standards in environmental care and sustainability.
Plastic-free from day one, Hattiers was an early adopter of innovative packaging solutions made from 100% recycled material and is 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable.
“Our customers are happy in the knowledge that their rum will arrive safely and in beautiful packaging that doesn’t cost the earth,” says Hatter’s founder Philip Everett-Lyons. “We are working hard to reduce the weight of our glass bottles by at least 30 per cent in order to reduce our product carbon footprint. We also use renewable energy as well as only natural light in the distillery during the blending process – and this year we have plans to move our entire fleet to hybrid or EV and generate solar energy on site with battery storage.”
When it comes to the hospitality industry, we recently featured Blackpool Sands’ new takeaway which offers a brilliant example of going the extra mile in environmental care and sustainability. The revamped takeaway is wholly plastic- and glass-free, and for the most part stocked with small independent brands.
So, Earth Day. It’s one of those annual events that is growing in importance as the world begins to realise what a parlous state the environment is in. As these examples demonstrate, more and more food and drink companies are taking their environmental responsibilities seriously – so, too, should we consumers.