| Energy
How can the farming
industry save cost and
carbon?
Creating sustainable supply chains is the new buzzword
in business with large retailers increasingly choosing
suppliers who can match their own green credentials and
actively demonstrate a commitment to lowering their own
carbon footprint. That combined with the UK’s renewed
drive towards a low carbon future means there’s a clear
business advantage for farmers and growers who choose
to go green.
eing seen as a
supplier who can
boost a
sustainable supply
chain can help to
improve a farmer’s
ability to sell into large scale,
national retailers which may
expect their supply chain to
adhere to standards like the World
Resource Institute’s Greenhouse
Gas Protocol.
Good Energy work with farmers
around the UK, both to supply and
buy renewable power. They work
closely with their customers to
understand the unique needs of
the farming business and create
supply packages to match.
An example of this is Growing
Underground; a micro-grower that
has built its entire business around
sustainability.
Using LED lights and
B
hydroponics, the grower produces
microgreens 33 metres below the
London streets. The entire site is
powered by 100% renewable
electricity and Growing
Underground have found their
enhanced carbon credentials are a
key unique selling point when
dealing with retailers like M&S and
FarmDrop.
It’s well known that another way
in which farmers can decarbonise
their operations is to generate their
own renewable electricity on site.
For farmers with grazing livestock,
installing solar panels on their land
can help to maximise the value of
the estate, save costs and provide
greater energy security; while still
allowing for rotational grazing.
In 2012, cheesemaker and milk
processor, Wyke Farms, a Good
Energy PPA customer, made steps
to minimise its environmental
36 | Farming Monthly | September 2018
impact, by investing £10m in five
anaerobic digesters which use
waste from the farm and the
cheese-making process to
generate 100% renewable
electricity. This not only produces
the power required for Wyke’s
operations but also creates a new
revenue stream by selling any
excess to Good Energy.
Embracing renewable energy
brings many benefits to farmers
and growers not least increased
competitive advantage, reporting a
lower carbon footprint which
enables businesses to procure
goods as part of a sustainable
supply chain model, boosting
business reputation and ultimately,
reducing business costs.
About Good Energy
Good Energy is a pioneering clean energy company, supplying
thousands of UK businesses with 100% renewable electricity and
green gas from a community of over 1,400 UK generators.
So if you want to positively impact your business ‘environmental
credentials, choose Clean Good Energy.
Switch today: www.goodenergy.co.uk/fm-sept18
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk