Breadcrumbs
Eat the View News Update (21/01/05)
Evaluation of Branding and Accreditation Schemes in the UK
The Countryside Agency's Eat the View programme has recently awarded a contract to Land Use Consultants to compare and contrast the sustainability standards and performance of existing and emerging national, regional and area-based product and business branding and accreditation schemes, in order to understand how and which sustainability criteria are being successfully used, promote best practice, and provide recommendations for future scheme development. The work will build on previous Countryside Agency research into environmental standards and product marketing, labelling and accreditation schemes. The work is expected to be completed by early summer 2005 and the results will be made available. For more information click here.
Fight to save cattle market
The campaign to save Hailsham Cattle Market, East Sussex from closure and development of a supermarket is heating up. Campaigners, the Hailsham Market Action Group, claim the nearest alternative markets to Hailsham are Ashford, 40-50 miles away, Salisbury 107 miles, or Thame about 106 miles. In recent years markets at Haywards Heath, Heathfield, Wadhurst, Lewes, Battle and Guildford have all closed. The group says the closure could affect many hauliers, result in longer transport distances, affect the local economy, and remove a valuable meeting place for farmers. Source: Farmers Guardian.
Beer essentials
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) says it has had a good response from supermarkets and off-licences to its new bottle-conditioned beer accreditation scheme. More then 60 breweries have signed up to the scheme, which awards a bottle logo saying 'Camra says this is real ale' to those ales which pass the test. Source: The Grocer.
Local school meals
Two firms supplying food to schools in Devon and Cornwall are aiming to use only locally sourced food and ingredients in future. Commercial Services, which supplies 224 out of 306 schools in Cornwall and Devon Direct which supplies 375 out of 600 schools in Devon are also phasing out processed foods. Source: Farmers Guardian.
Wye virtual farmers' market
Wye Farmers' Market in Kent is a thriving twice-monthly market with 20 regular stallholders. One of the oldest in the country, it now has big plans to go further in the future by setting up an internet ordering home delivery service for producers. See: www.wyecycle.org
Pork transparency
The National Pig Association is to launch a website which will allow retailers and butchers to trace the origin of pig carcasses and pork products. Branded products are the main target for the campaign for greater product origin transparency. Source: The Grocer
Farm, Food and Countryside
A new booklet was launched in December last year designed to make the case for British agriculture in the way it produces wholesome food and how it looks after the countryside. For more information visit: www.voiceofbritishagriculture.com
EVENTS
23 - 29 January, Farmhouse Breakfast Week
Join the celebrations and take part in Farmhouse Breakfast Week. Whether you are a cereal grower, livestock farmer, manufacturer, butcher, baker, retailer, caterer, school, local organisation or a consumer - everyone and anyone can get involved. Contact mailto:therese.coleman@hgca.com
