Our new LEAF members’ resource the LEAF Sustainable Farming Review is now available.

Launched by George Eustice MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for farming, food and marine environment, Defra, earlier this week, the LEAF Sustainable Farming Review provides a new management tool to help farmers farm more sustainably.

As an on-line, self-assessment resource, it offers an annual health check of farming businesses and helps farmers to implement and measure the impacts of Integrated Farm Management (IFM). It will help farmers to record, evaluate and improve farming practices and also allows users to benchmark performance over time, against other users. The LEAF Sustainable Farming Review replaces the LEAF Audit and offers farmers improved usability.

Key benefits include: • Supports site-specific implementation of Integrated Farm Management.

• Practical management tool to help continuous business improvement.

• Provides guidance and further information through documents and website links.

• Opportunity to create personalised action plans.

• From 2016, benchmarking amongst other users will be available.

• CPD (Continuous Professional Development) points for BASIS, NRoSO and DairyPro are available on completion.

• Completion of the LEAF Sustainable Farming Review is the first step to becoming LEAF Marque certified.

Speaking at the launch on Monday 1st December 2015, George Eustice said: “Farming and food are at the very centre of our rural economy, which is worth £210 billion a year. We are working hard to help the sector grow and thrive so it is successful and sustainable in the future. Our push for better food labelling across Europe, and supporting the opening of new export markets are just two ways we are working to help this crucial sector grow. Reviewing performance is key to improvement and the LEAF Sustainable Farming Review is a practical way of helping farmers measure and evaluate their progress.”