Sourced Locally supplier receives top award for commitment to sustainable business practice

Fairfields Farm has received a silver award from the Suffolk Carbon Charter in recognition of its work to measure and reduce its carbon footprint.

The Suffolk Carbon Charter Panel stated in a recent report that ‘Fairfields Farm demonstrates exceptional commitment and is making very strong progress towards being an exemplar of sustainability.’

Robert Strathern, co-owner of Fairfields Farm said, “Really getting to grips with our carbon footprint has been a journey – and continued to be. Understanding where our emissions come from takes time and effort but is well worth it to understand where our business has the most impact and helps us to prioritise our efforts".

As part of our commitment to developing sustainable business practice, our Sourced Locally suppliers are provided with membership to the Suffolk Carbon Charter. The Charter provides support and recognition to small and medium sized businesses throughout Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex that commit to and adopt carbon reduction measures and sustainable business practices. A silver level award is only awarded to organisations that, in addition to implementing measures to manage and reduce energy use, have implemented measures leading to clear reductions in carbon emissions. 

As a Sourced Locally supplier of ours since 2007, Fairfields Farm supplies hand-cooked crisps and potatoes to our stores across the region.

Steven Fendley, Head of Sustainability at the East of England Co-op said: “This is a well-deserved recognition for Fairfields Farm who have worked hard to minimise their impact at home at the farm and right through their supply chain".

“The East of England Co-op is 100% committed to reducing our carbon footprint and last year we announced our ambitious plans to be carbon neutral by 2030. That means we are looking at every part of our business operation to find cleaner, more sustainable ways to operate and that does not just involve our own premises and practices. We want to help every part of our supply chain to do the same through schemes such as the Carbon Charter. By working together in this way, we can make a real difference.”