Ecological footprinting in small and medium sized Welsh food business

Ecological footprinting is an approach advocated by the Welsh Government to measure progress towards a sustainable Wales. But is this appropriate for Welsh food business?

This work explores the commercial benefits and challenges of measuring sustainable performance in small and medium sized Welsh food businesses using Ecological Footprint, Carbon Footprint and Life Cycle Assessment methodologies.

It determines the practical steps that are needed to overcome barriers to improved sustainability measurement within small Welsh food business and recommends ways for policy makers to engage with business on sustainable development issues.

The study was part funded by the Welsh Government. It was done by Ecostudio in association with BRASS at Cardiff University. Support from the Organic Centre Wales Better Organic Business Links project was critical in illustrating the options for quantitative measurement specifically around Carbon Footprint methods.

The findings from this research will be available shortly. To find out more about practical tools and techniques for measuring and managing ecological footprint in small business please contact us
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Welsh Assembly Food and packaging waste plan now open for consultation

Ecostudio have been working with the Welsh Government Waste Strategy Unit on the new Food Manufacture, Service and Retail Sector Plan - an action plan to make it easier for food businesses to deal with food and packaging waste.

Our role is to advise policymakers and propose practical actions for Welsh food business to help meet waste prevention and recycling targets set out in Towards Zero Waste – the Assembly Government’s new waste strategy for Wales.

It's just one of the areas that the Welsh Government is focussing efforts to build a sustainable Wales. To make this happen views are sought.

To download and contribute to the consultation click here.

This is Rubbish – campaigning to reduce food waste

Ecostudio have been invited to speak in a ‘food futures’ roundtable discussion at the Hay festival on Monday 31st May hosted by This is Rubbish.

These guys bring a fresh and enthusiastic approach to raising awareness of a pretty awful problem.

Ecostudio are working with the Welsh Government to develop innovative plans that help business and producers prevent food waste.

It doesn’t sound like a load of rubbish to us…

If you’re planning a trip to Hay make sure you come along to one of their events -
find out more here:

This is Rubbish (TiR) aim to communicate the preventable scale of food waste in the UK, through policy, community and arts led public events. Using playful and creative experiences; collective ideas generation and craftivism, This is Rubbish will emphasise practical solutions to the pressing problem of industrial level food waste. This is Rubbish invite you to come along to one of their “Feast” tour dates and digest a programme of participatory activities followed by a free evening food waste feast to celebrate the wonders of waste. For the summer tour dates visit www.thisisrubbish.org.uk

Do you know a food business that deserves recognition for their animal welfare standards?

Half of UK eggs are now laid by cage free hens, according to the RSPCA, whose annual Good Business Awards are now open for entries.

However, while more customers are choosing higher welfare eggs than ever, around two thirds of all eggs used in restaurants, pubs and cafes – whether whole or in liquid form in quiches and cakes – still come from hens kept in battery cages.

The annual RSPCA Good Business Awards celebrate UK supermarkets, pubs, caterers and restaurants that put higher welfare products on their menus and shelves. Last year, retailers including The Co-Operative, Sainsbury’s and Abel & Cole took home awards.

Do you think your local restaurant should be rewarded? Do you know a producer who stands above the rest when it comes to their ethical stance on their food? Tell them about the Good Business Awards, which give public and industry recognition for commitments to animal welfare.

The awards close on 10 June 2011. For more information and to log on visit www.rspcagoodbusinessawards.com or to find out more about animal welfare and food go to www.goodthings.org.uk

Ecostudio feature in Welsh Economic Review

A paper written by Dr Calvin Jones of Cardiff University and Iain Cox of Ecostudio has been published in a leading journal.

The article describes why sustainable food is critical to the Welsh economy and the urgent challenges for Welsh policy makers for a truly sustainable food system to be embraced.

It focusses on some of the positive public and private sector initiatives that are happening in the food sector in Wales - such as the True Taste Sustainable Development Award. It illustrates how the Welsh Assembly Government Rural Affairs Department is investing in sustainable development and why this must be recognised by all government departments.

The article is featured in the Food Edition of the Welsh Economic Review, Spring 2011 (p. 13 & 14). To download the journal click here. _

Developing Sustainable Food Business

Ecostudio were recently awarded funding from Glasu to develop eco-action plans with a number of food businesses from Powys. The project was run as a competition and recieved over 50 entrants with 5 winning businesses selected to recieve a free sustainability review and mentoring from Ecostudio's team of award winning mentors.

The project is a first of its kind because it demonstrates how commercial advantage can be achieved by doing food business in sustainable ways - this is why we believe it gained significant coverage in the national media.

To find out more click here.
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The Guardian Newspaper featuring Ecostudio!

For several years now Ecostudio has worked with the True Taste Wales food and drink awards to develop and judge the Contribution to Sustainable Development award.

This was recently featured in G2 - a section of the Guardian Newspaper. Alongside several Welsh food businesses that are recognised for their work in making and selling sustainable food of the highest quality.

The work has broken new ground because it acknowledges the contemporary challenges facing the food industry today along with setting the standard for other businesses to follow.

But don't just take our word for it. Click here to read what an internationally renowned journalist for the Guardian reports.

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