Delivering on AIC Roadmap ambitions - 2021 update
The AIC Sustainability Roadmap was designed with a clear purpose in guiding AIC’s collective work, its direction of travel and to help member companies align their activities and planning. A year after its publication, it is time for an update on progress against the various parts of the Roadmap:
Investing in Business and Social development
- Member companies are publishing their own targets, initiatives, and innovations.
- Proposals are underway for discussions on how best to facilitate liaison between Sectors, AIC Policy and AIC Services in delivering sector and overall AIC Roadmap ambitions.
- The AIC Board has sampled sustainability training for management teams – feedback will help tailor training to individual company needs.
- Employees of AIC feed company Members are completing bespoke training in the Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management for feed mill operations.
- FAR Sustainability training for Animal Feed Advisers and BASIS Advanced course in Crop Nutrient Management for FACTS Qualified Advisers will be rolled out this autumn.
Farm and land management
- AIC promoted a collective campaign setting out ambitions for improving Farm Nutrient Balance, Feed Conversion Ratios, soil health, nutrient balance, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency – momentum is now resulting in action.
- AIC joined the work of AHDB, farming bodies, retailers, and processors forum – coordinated by WRAP – and also that of the Sustainable Food Trust, to draft a common set of metrics for measuring change and targeting improvements in sustainable food production. Work is ongoing.
- Industry Greenhouse gas Action Plan partners reformed as the Farm and Land Use Alliance to plan a Countryside COP event on the week of October 11th – ahead of the COP26 global summit. The objective is to show case activity, success and inspire stakeholders.
- We continue to help shape government policy for farming and land use and the advisory landscape.
Farm input assurance
- Work on reviewing and updating the responsible sourcing module, reflecting the recent changes made to the FEFAC soy sourcing guidelines, is well underway and the new text should be agreed by late Autumn 2021.
- Member companies are increasingly able to show relative differences between fertilisers and feed carbon footprints supplied to farmers and growers.