JP’s dulcet tones have hit the airwaves!
Our Managing Director Jonathan Parker joined The FoodTalk Show to highlight why sustainability and ethical practices are the way forward and how we demonstrate those throughout our supply chain.
The trend for consumers to know the provenance of their produce and that it is made responsibly and ethically is at an all time high, and one that runs through the core of Foodari and is its entire ethos.
Jonathan and fellow guest Guy, with the hosts of The FoodTalk Show. Photo courtesy of @thefoodtalkshow.
Foodari is working hard to be a truly sustainable supplier, who our customers can trust to work in an environmentally friendly way wherever possible. We are also ensuring that we make a positive social impact by working with local charities through donations, partnerships and supplying surplus product.
Like most businesses we have more work to do but our approach is to continuously improve, innovate and work differently to become greener, and to be a true force for good. Here’s a few examples of what we’re doing:
Supply chain and food miles
We prioritise produce that is seasonal and local, meaning we keep our food miles, use of fuel, and carbon-heavy imports to a minimum – in fact our nearest supplier (Hares Farm in Chilham) is just three miles away from our farm. We have also invested in route optimising software to ensure that our delivery routes are as short and efficient as possible.
We import a number of key products such as citrus, but no matter where our produce is sourced, we can guarantee full traceability from good growers.
Boundary Farm, Wingham. Photo courtesy of @justjackphotography.
Nature friendly
We have completed a rewilding programme; The Foodari Forest. Determined to do what we can to tackle the climate emergency and to offset any carbon that our business may produce, we have proudly planted saplings and a wildflower meadow and are providing a new habitat for wildlife.
Our chosen classic British varieties are all from sustainable British growers who have partnered with Woodland Trust, which ensures they are disease free and come with true provenance.
We work with growers and producers who have green, wildlife-friendly and sustainable principles too. Here’s some great examples: Our wonderful apple and strawberry suppliers at Newlands are LEAF-assured (Linking Environment & Farming), working to build robust ecosystems on their farm near Faversham.
Growers supplying to Provenance Potatoes use both field margins and wildflower planting for winter bird food sources and nectar to encourage biodiversity on their farms.
The brilliant team at Betts Farm, who currently supply our full range of salad leaves, are also wildlife friendly, including the planting of wildflower meadows for insects and bees, and putting up nesting boxes for birds. They have also invested in solar power and other new technology to improve the energy-efficiency of their operations.
Jonathan and Father Chris, planting the rewilding saplings.
Plastic and recycling
We estimate around 80% of our produce comes to us in re-useable or recyclable boxes and pallets and we’re encouraging our suppliers to help us get this nearer to 100%. We’re really close achieving this, with the exception of essential packaging to prevent damage to the produce. We hope to ensure PET-free punnets via our suppliers soon.
We’re delighted to support packaging innovation from our local suppliers – such as Woodlands in Chartham, who supply eggs to us in plastic egg boxes made entirely from recycled plastic bottles retrieved from the sea.
Newlands Farm, who have a long heritage of local, Kentish strawberries will supply us for the rest of the season in compostable punnets made from strawberry waste - supporting our ambition to reduce plastic and food waste as much as possible.
Our cardboard delivery boxes are recyclable and if you can't reuse or recycle them yourself, then we will collect them from you and recycle them at our recycling hub here on the farm.
Newlands Farm strawberries, in recyclable punnets made from strawberry waste.
Supporting local causes
We firmly believe that being part of the community is not just about what we offer commercially, but how we play our part in supporting local causes and charities too.
Our team is proud to work with a number of organisations locally. This includes charity partnerships with Pilgrims Hospices, Kent's largest hospice charity, who help people facing incurable illness live well in every moment, and previously, Porchlight, Kent’s largest charity for homeless and vulnerable people.
We also donate produce to The Umbrella Café in Whitstable and The Umbrella Centre in Canterbury who are working to reduce isolation and food poverty in the community. We were also proud to support national charity Brogdale National Fruit Collection through our Heritage Apple Box.
And where our produce cannot be donated to tackle food poverty, we also enjoy sharing surplus stock with the wonderful animal sanctuary in High Halden.
Surplus stock being enjoyed by a resident at The Retreat Animal Sanctuary.
Championing worldwide initiatives
We are proud to support the Terra Carta from HRH The Prince of Wales' Sustainable Markets Initiative.
The Terra Carta provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards and ambitious and sustainable future; one that wil harness the power of nature combines with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector.
The global business proposition outlines ten areas for action and compromises of nearly 100 actions for business as the basis of a recovery plan that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation.
It's simple really.
We’re a local business on a mission to support local farmers and producers by supplying quality fresh food. We’re family-run, and everyone who works for us lives in Kent - and understands the very special seasonality of the Garden of England.
Devoted to sourcing and supplying outstanding fresh produce for 15 years in a marketplace full of customers, growers and producers all working to exacting standards in challenging times, we stand out through our strong relationships across the supply chain.
Integrity, service and sustainability is through our core.
