Making a marque

I am always reminded and indeed often suprised, just how fast technology changes. So to out expectations and demands for service, quality, in just about everything we do or buy. Food and the countryside are no exception. To illustarte my point - consider the following:

On Monday...we wanted food, we needed quantity
On Tuesday...we wanted cheap food and quantity
On Wednesday...we obviously wanted cheapness and quantity, but also quality
On Thursday...we still wanted quantity, cheapness and quality but also it was essential for us to know the source of our food, and that was fully traceable, in terms of origin and farming practices.
On Friday...we still wanted all the demands of the previous days, but we also wanted our food to be grown with consideration to the environment.
We are about on Friday and while all these demands are not unreasonable, farmers have to put them into practice and they have new issues knocking on the door. I have no doubt the farming industry will respond to these in the same way that they have over the last few decades, but not without farming, food and consumer industries joining together more effectively and understanding each other's points of view.

It was with these issues in mid that the charity LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) was started 12 years ago, to make a difference and do something positive for the farming industry. LEAF is a membership organisation that bings people together to understand and address their concerns about farming and the environment and develop a system of farming that meets peoples expectations and is practical for the majority of farmers. We call it Integrated Farm Management (IMF). Principally, LEAF is about linking environment and farming. IFM offers farmers a way of farming that balances, consumer issues with caring for livestock, crop management, environmental responsibility, quality food. We have set up 44 demonstration farms around the country and hosted 80,000 vists to invited audiences, half being farmers (crucial to encourage ideas and change) and half non farms (crucial to identifying concerns and debate about the practicalities of farming). All our demonstration farmers are volunteers: they are motivated, forward-looking and good communicators. They are passionate about farming and the environment and finding answers to take farming forward in the 21st century.

Farming is complex and most farmers readily take up the challenges posed by their soil type, climate, water, environment and increasing papework and legislation - in the knowledge that they are still running a business that needse investment and economic vitality to keep going. Quality, good care and attention to the environment and animal welfar have been fundamental to LEAF farmer's beliefs. When LEAF started, there were many farmers who visited the farms saying "I farm like that" or "I would like to farm like that" and so we develope guidelines and the first whole farm environmental audit - management toold to help, guide and give credit to farmers. At the same time we had environmental groups, WI members, local councillors, MP's to name a few visiting farms asked "where can I buy food from farms like this one" and so we have more recently developed the LEAF marque as an environmental standard - now available in Waitrose and with support from Marks and Spencer and Safeways. LEAF Marque is about selling choice to consumers. As customers we need the confident that what we are buying into is the "real" thing. LEAF marque offers quality food, which is honestly priced and represents excellent value for money. It offers quality food produced to the highest standards of farming practice, environmental care and animal husbandry.

LEAF marque products on the shelf range from radishes and spinach to lettuces - all demonstrating how the farmer has a true commitment to good environmental practice and good attention to detail. Not only striving to identify new habitats to encourage wildlife on their farm, but also care for their soil so that their crops and animals are brought up in the most efficient and sensitive way. LEAF marque is about Linking Environment and Farming. It gives you the choice to buy affordable produce by farmers who are committed to improving the environment for the benefit of wildlife and the countryside.

Farming is is always going to be complex and dynamic. LEAF brings together the best of traditional farming methods mixed with the best of modern technology. The future of our countryside is dependent on us all being able to share more effectively - sustainable development is not a competition, it is something for everyone and that means we must look, learn, listen and share more. Everyone has a part to play - our demonstration farmers and our many farmer members are doing their bit but we need your support too.

Autumn 2003