The Jordans & Ryvita Company Ltd is a UK joint venture between Associated British Foods and the founders of the Jordans brand – Bill and David Jordan. The Jordans brand was established in 1972 and the business focuses on making breakfast cereals and bars using only natural ingredients. All the grain used in Jordans’ products is grown to either organic or Conservation Grade® farming standards.
Bill and David Jordan helped establish the Conservation Grade® standard in 1985 to grow grain in a more nature-friendly way. The scheme has been the backbone of Jordans’ approach to sustainable sourcing ever since.
Conservation Grade® farmers are required to utilise 10% of their land to create a range of habitats for wildlife but, in contrast to organic farmers, are also permitted to use a carefully selected range of agrochemicals in order to maintain their crop yield. All Conservation Grade® farmers are trained in environmental farm management to promote biodiversity and are paid a contractually agreed premium price for their grain. Over 50 farms are now in the Conservation Grade® scheme accounting for approximately 60,000 acres of British farmland. It is the only agri-environment scheme in the UK to pay farmers a premium for their crop in return for creating wildlife habitats on their land.
- 10% of the land is actively managed for wildlife:
- 4% provides pollen and nectar from wildflowers and clover to provide insect food and habitat;
- 1.5% is planted as wild bird food using plants like quinoa and fodder-radish to provide seeds for birds in winter and early spring;
- 2% is sown as tussock and fine grasses, creating important habitats for spiders, beetles and small mammals;
- 0.5% is ‘natural regeneration’ to encourage rare annual plants to re-establish themselves and support ground-nesting birds; and
- 2% allows for any unique features of the individual farm to be managed in order to promote wildlife, for example, creating wildlife havens in old barns, woodland or ponds.
The approach taken by Conservation Grade® farmers has been scientifically proven to deliver significant wildlife increases. Between 1999 and 2003 at a pilot farm in Yorkshire, the UK government’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology noted a 41% increase in birds, an eightfold increase in butterflies, and a thirteenfold increase in bumblebees. The Conservation Grade® farm management protocols are constantly reviewed and in 2009 carbon footprinting and sustainable biofuel options were introduced.
With an increasing global focus on environmental sustainability and 2010 being the International Year of Biodiversity, the value of a farming model that maximises biodiversity and crop yields is ever more apparent to business. Since 2009 a number of other brands have achieved Conservation Grade® accreditation, including our Allinson flour brand. In addition, our milling and baking business has substantially increased the tonnage of Conservation Grade® grain they are purchasing with a view to expanding the market for this visionary biodiversity-driven farming model.