Farm Carbon Toolkit teams up with UK’s largest crisping potato supplier

Farm Carbon Toolkit is delighted to announce a new collaboration with Mercian Ltd, the UK’s largest supplier of crisping potatoes.

Farm Carbon Toolkit is using its years of experience in carbon footprinting to create a bespoke Carbon Calculator module customised for Mercian’s potato farmers.

The tool provides both a broad overview and the fine detail of the individual farm’s footprint; taking into account the greenhouse emissions and carbon sequestration from all aspects of the operations. Mercian’s potato growers will find categories for their seed, sprout suppressant and specific contractor operations, such as de-stoning the soil, in this user-friendly tool.

Future releases of the tool will focus on integrating the Calculator with existing farm software, to improve the accuracy of the results and reduce the time spent inputting data.

Farm Carbon Toolkit’s Calculator Development Manager Oliver Kynaston explains the motivation behind the collaboration:
 

"We’re working with farmers and growers right across the UK, providing them with the tools they need to lower the carbon intensity of the food we all eat. Farmers are all at different stages on their carbon journey, but we believe an important first step is to get a good baseline of their whole- farm carbon footprint."

"From there, farmers can see the hotspots of their activities – whether that’s diesel use, fertiliser application or new equipment– and then focus their efforts and reduce their emissions and increase carbon sequestration."

"We’re delighted to work directly with Mercian to improve our calculator and increase our reach in one of the most important agricultural sectors in the UK."

Jon Kemp, Business Manager of Mercian:
 

"As the largest supplier of crisping potatoes in the UK, we felt the time was right to take the initiative. The input we received from Farm Carbon Toolkit has been both professional and very much inspirational for us, which has led to a joint approach that builds our understanding of the carbon intensity within the supply chain."

"We are truly hoping that technology will help the UK potato industry play its part in the positive changes that are taking place across agriculture."

As well as offering ‘white label’ carbon calculators to businesses and organisations, individual farmers and growers can start their first carbon footprint by using the Farm Carbon Calculator, the UK’s leading tool to help farmers and growers measure AND reduce their carbon footprint.

Visit calculator.farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk