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The Waitrose WildCare Scheme aims to improve wildlife habitats to increase the range and amount of animal, bird and plant life present on Waitrose dairy farms. |
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Background
Farmers play a crucial role in conserving the wildlife that lives on their farms – but getting the balance right between using the land for food production and providing good habitat for wildlife can be a challenge.
It is essential to retain as many species of farmland plants, insects, birds and animals as possible, as each and every one plays a vital role within the ecosystem of the British countryside. Once lost, they can never be replaced.
To help protect and encourage the wildlife, all dairy producers who supply liquid milk for the Waitrose essential range, participate in a unique farm wildlife habitat scheme.
How the issue was tackled
The Waitrose WildCare Scheme was designed by wildlife experts from AB Sustain. It aims to improve wildlife habitats to increase the range and amount of animal, bird and plant life present on farms. The scheme is endorsed by The Wildlife Trusts.
Under the Waitrose WildCare scheme, the essential Waitrose dairy farmers follow a Farm Wildlife Action Plan, produced for them by an experienced advisor. This highlights practical ways to protect and enhance the wildlife – for example by creating new ponds, restoring hedgerows or putting up nesting boxes for birds such as barn owls.
Waitrose WildCare farmers dedicate at least 10% of their land to habitat for wildlife, although most of the group devotes a significantly larger area than this.
Benefits and impacts
- All aspects of wildlife on Waitrose WildCare farms are flourishing. For example, annual surveys on these farms have shown bird numbers to be increasing, bucking the national trend.
- The essential Waitrose dairy farmers receive a premium for their milk, rewarding them for the extra time and effort they take in looking after the wildlife on their farms.
- Waitrose customers who buy essential milk can be confident that it has been produced by farmers who care for the environment, and who are helping wildlife flourish on their farms.
Advice to others
- Invest in ‘green’ initiatives that can make a real and proven difference, as these will truly add value to the product offer, and enhance an organisation’s environmental credentials.
- Work with independent experts who can bring knowledge and enthusiasm to a project to ensure a successful outcome.
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