RRU Community Food Co-ops wins national horticulture award for environmental practices!

We're delighted that the RRU Community Food Co-ops have been recognised for their leadership and commitment in sustainable development by receiving the Environmental Excellence Award from Horticulture Wales - an official organisation established to support Welsh horticulture business.

The Community Food Co-ops are long established to provide healthy and affordable food to those that most need it – whilst providing much needed access to market, and a straightforward distribution for an increasing number of regional growers and local produce.

Run as a social enterprise and volunteer led there are currently over 300 co-ops active across Wales. 

Ecostudio have been working with the RRU social enterprise since 2009.

A 10 point sustainability plan has enabled them to measure, evaluate and improve their performance whilst demonstrating an environmental and economic return on investment that adds value to the community benefits that they are established to deliver.

We'll write more about this here soon. In the meantime feel free to get in touch if you'd like to find out more.

Packaging for Horticulture – a practical guide for small enterprises

A new packaging guide has been published by Horticulture Wales.

Packaging for Horticulture – a practical guide for small enterprises is written by Iain Cox of Ecostudio with support from Susie Gardner and designed by Kate Hamer Design.

Using research and knowledge gained from the horticulture and packaging industries. This free online guide is designed to help small companies overcome the commercial challenges they face when considering their packaging options, it provides technical know-how and explains how good environmental choices can win new business.

For further information and to register with Horticulture Wales to download the guide, click here.

To view the guide directly on ISSUU click here.

Phase 2 of the Sustainable Supply Chains initiative underway!

Building on the success of our work with f3 local food consultants in 2009-2011 the next stage of the Sustainable Supply Chains initiative will focus on 2 things:

1. to develop a self assessment sustainable business toolkit, and:
2. to support 3 social enterprises to expand their marketplace.

Ecostudio are busy with the research and development for the sustainable business toolkit that'll aim to provide the means for any food business to plan for the future.

We'll add regular updates here so please check back or contact us.

What does Ecostudio do?

We're often asked this question and this will all be included in our new website launching later this month - here's a summary (feel free to contact us to find out more):

We work together with business and the public sector to apply environmentally innovative and socially responsible practice in the food and drink industry.

We combine our knowledge with our client's experience of their marketplace. We work with them to ensure their business objectives are met in the most sustainable way. Our experience shows that it's better to help people make their own decisions.

Our approach is different and our results are more sustainable.

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