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Waitrose and two leading UK institutes have joined forces to establish a new centre
United Kingdom
Wednesday 09 March 2011
MD
British chain Waitrose is demonstrating its commitment to find long term solutions for agricultural production.
The National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge, which trials vegetables for growers anually, and the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University have teamed up with the supermarket to create the Centre of Excellence for UK Farming (CEUKF).
The new centre is intended to provide a network of expertise for everyone involved in the food production supply chain, offering access to the best information and advice on developments in science, innovation and practical know-how.
The centre will link and interact widely with partners in applied research and industry, as well as policy-makers and stakeholders.
Waitrose agreed to seed-fund the establishment of the centre as part of its commitment to finding long-term solutions to food security, climate change and other issues affecting agricultural production.
Initial work on the CEUKF began in June 2010 and pilot research programmes are underway to benchmark the efficiency of UK lamb and wheat production, focused on key sustainability indicators such as resource use, greenhouse gas emissions and ecological diversity. Preliminary results will be announced later this year.
source : horticulture week
