Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 15 BP2021 focus shifting to practical steps through to minimising or repurposing waste and targeting better crop utilisation. “A key crossover between our operations and those further up and down our supply chain revolves around enhanced planning, so that’s a particularly fruitful area for focus. “Overall, we’re anticipating a lot of productive discussion amongst growers on ways the potato sector can help to protect the planet for future generations, and the potato event is a great forum for that.” Meanwhile, with McCain being the largest purchaser of British potatoes, many will be interested to learn more about the silver sponsor’s recently-launched Regenerative Agriculture commitment. “We’ve set a clear commitment that regenerative agricultural practices will be implemented across our entire global potato acreage by 2030,” said Head of Grower Management Nick Douglas. “And we know key benefits of this transition will include enhanced grower resilience and more sustainable potato yields. Underpinning this, soil health, ecosystem diversity and water efficiency will improve and the impact of synthetic inputs will be reduced. “This is an ambitious goal and we know each of our growing areas is unique. So, we’re also investing in three global ‘Farms of the Future’ by 2025, which will be dedicated to implementing commercially viable regenerative agricultural practices on a commercial size farm. “There is already a huge amount of sustainability and regenerative agriculture work being done on farms. The key to achieving our commitment will be partnering with our growers as we identify and test practices, evaluate measurement criteria and consider support programmes, because we all have to move forward together. “This is the start of our journey and the BP2021 event is a great staging post for our growers to hear more and discuss ways to get involved,” said Nick. “Of course, long term exhibitors like Branston and McCain aren’t alone in focusing on a sustainable future, says organiser Steve Wellbeloved. “The show always attracts a good cross section of brand-new exhibitors and it’s interesting to note how many of the 2021 crop are showcasing environmentally- related developments. So, as ever, there’ll be a great deal to see and discuss.” • Planning your visit to BP2021? You can find out more and register for free tickets at www.potatoreview.com/bp2021 “There is already a huge amount of sustainability and regenerative agriculture work being done on farms. The key to achieving our commitment will be partnering with our growers.” Nick Douglas, Head of Grower Management, McCain BP events offer a good opportunity for a catch-up and experts expect sustainability to feature strongly in discussions.