Mey Selections Farmers Drive For Low Carbon
25th March 2007
North Highland Products Ltd - which produces Mey Selections branded products - has received funds from the London-based Carbon Trust to investigate how farmers in the North Highland can reduce their carbon emissions.
John Strak, Managing Director of North Highland Products, commented, "SAOS, (The Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society), asked us to join its project with several other partners in a project being financed by The Carbon Trust. The aim of the project is to find ways that farmers can reduce carbon emissions and, eventually, to achieve low carbon or carbon neutral production systems.
"We see this as an opportunity both to improve the environmental performance of our members' businesses and also provide them with a way to improve their economic performance.
"The North Highlands is a naturally green region location - we have nothing to fear from the drive to reduce carbon emissions and everything to gain from showing that we have low carbon production systems in the far north. Indeed, my aim will be for Mey Selections to lead the way towards a carbon neutral future for farm and food production in the North Highlands."
Currently North Highland Products has over 250 farmer members providing Mey Selections beef and lamb to the national market.
"By supporting the drive to lower carbon emissions we hope that we can help reduce farmers' input costs and increase the attractiveness of our products to customers. I hope to have the Carbon Trust's new carbon footprint label on some of our products before the end of the year."
The objective of the project, which should be completed by October this year, is to develop a range of strategies and practices to reduce CO2 emissions from Scottish farms while maintaining their economic output. In particular it will look at electricity and gas usage and the consumption of fertilisers.
Hamish Walls, Project Manager within SAOS, said that the great news for farmers was that carbon reduction reduced costs and added to farm profitability.
"A joint application was successfully submitted to the Carbon Trust for funds to evaluate and reduce carbon emissions amongst farmer members of the co-ops. The contribution that co-ops can make will be essential. Their interface with many farmers, and their participation in marketing chains, provides a logical way to manage both the market and government needs for carbon reduction."
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