mcdonald’s europe flagship farms wheat – friedrich haase ... · mcdonald’s europe flagship...
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1McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms
Wheat – Friedrich Haase, Latvia
The key initiatives on the farm are:
• FriedrichpurchasedlandinthisspecificareaofLatviabecauseofthelowagriculturallandvalues.Landpricesinthisregionhavebeenadverselyaffectedbylimitedfinancialinvestment,infra–structureandmanagementwhichhaveresultedinalossofsoilproductivityandqualitye.g.poorfielddrainagemaintenanceleadingtowaterloggedsoils.
• Tohelpimprovethesoilhealthandstructure,thefarmhasintroducedanumberofpracticestoincreasesoilorganicmatter(SOM)levelsandimprovethepositiveeffectthishasonseveralelementsofthesoil’sproperties,suchasnutrientcycling,biologicalactivityandwaterretention.CropresiduessuchascerealstrawandcovercropsareincorporatedintosoilstoincreasetheavailableorganicmaterialandcultivationsareundertakentominimiseSOMlosses
• Thefarmundertakesaregimeofregularsoiltestingforphosphate,potashandpHlevelswhicharerecordedondigitalfieldmaps.ThisdataprovidesthenecessaryinformationtothefertiliserspreaderwhichisfittedwithGPS(GlobalPositioningSystem),toallowvariableapplicationsratesacrossafieldtomeettargetedsoilnutrientlevels.Thissystemishelpingtoapplyinputsmorepreciselyandtohelpbalancethesoilnutrientprofilesacrosseachfield.
• Tooptimisenitrogenfertiliserapplicationswiththeaimofreducingquantitiesneededtomaintainyields,thefarmhasimplementedpracticesandtechnologywhichincludes:
• UsingtheN–sensortechnologywhichautomaticallyadjustsnitrogenapplicationsbasedon crop demands
• PlantingnitrogenfixingcropstoimprovesoilNlevels
• Triallingtheapplicationofnitrogenfixingbacteriatothesoil
• Generally,farmsinLatviaoperatethroughasystemofgraintradersandco–operativeswhichprovidebothgrainstorageanddryingfacilitiesandultimatelymarketthegrain.TooptimisethebusinessandfarmmanagementFriedrichhasinvestedin12,000tonnesofonfarmgrainstoragefacilitiesandagraindrier.Thishasalsoprovidedhimwiththeflexibilitytomarketandsellhisowngrainandtheopportunitytodevelopgraincontractswiththelocalmill.
• ThegraindrierspurchasedbytheFriedrichhavebeenspecificallyselectedtoutilisewoodchiptogeneratetheheatrequiredtodrythegrain.Thiswoodiscollectedandsourcedfromaroundthefarmandprovidesasustainableandrenewablesourceoffuelforgraindrying.
Introduction
FriedrichHaasemovedfromGermanytoLatviain2003andstartedhisfarmingoperationwith100hectaresofland.Thishassincegrownto4,100hectareswith24full–timeemployees.Herehedescribeshowgoodmanagementandstrategicinvestmentininfrastructure,technologyandstaff,hasallowedhimtogrowthebusinessandprovidedtheopportunitytoworkcollaborativelywithDobeleandTartuVeskiMills.
“ Therearemanybarriersandchallengestoestablishingandbuildingasuccessfulfarmingoperation,Friedrichhasachievedsomethingonlyafewwoulddaretoconsider.HemovedfromhisnativeGermanyandpurchased100hectaresoflandin2003,hehasbuiltthisovertheinterveningyearstomorethan4000hectares.Friedrichisclearlyagreatbusinessmanandfarmer,hecarespassionatelyaboutthefarmandthelocalenvironment.Hisgreatestachievementisthathehasoverseenanddriventhetransformationofpoorarablelandintoaproductiveandsustainablefarmingoperation.”
Karl Williams, Flagship Farms Programme Manager, FAI
2McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
Action Benefits
Summary of actions and benefits
ThetablebelowsummarisesthekeyareasofgoodpracticedisplayedbyFriedrichHaase,andthebenefits ( environmental / economic / ethical) thatarisefromtakingtheseactions.
GlobalGAP assuredCertification/ Assurance
Certifiesthatcriteriaformaintainingenvironmentalbestpracticearemet
Globallyrecognisedcertificationenhancesproductmarketability
Ensuresproductqualityandtraceabilitystandardsaremet
Strategic investment in grain drier and store
Business planning
Crop rotationsCrop Initiatives
Minimisesbuild–upofcrop–specificdiseasesandtheneedforapplicationof plant protection products
Growingcropslikebeansandavariedrotationincreasessoilnitrogencontentandimprovessoilquality,increasingwheatcropyields
Soil nutrient mapping and GPS application of inputs
GPScontrolledequipmentincreasestheapplicationaccuracyofinputs
Accurate and optimal application of inputs can reduce fuel and product use and lowerlabourrequirement,allprovidingcostreductions
Trialling the application of nitrogen fixing bacteria on the soil
Reduces the requirement for the application of synthetic fertiliser inputs
Theaimistoenhancewheatyieldsthroughincreasingbeneficialsoilbacteria thatincreasesnitrogenavailabilityforthecrop
Well timed cultivations control weed growth and prepare seedbeds
Mechanicaldestructionofweedslowerstheneedfor plant protection products
Minimalcultivationsforseedbedpreparationreducesfuelandlabourcostsover ploughing
Providesflexiblemanagementduringharvestandstorage
Enablesdirectcontractswithmillersandbuffersthebusinessfrommarket fluctuations
Ensuresthefarmisincontrolofgrainstorageconditionswhichhelps maintaingrainqualityandreducefoodsafetyrisks
Selling direct to Dobele and Tartu Veski Mills
Negotiationsonwheatpriceandqualityprovidesbenefitstobothfarmandmill
Contractsarebeingagreedwhichwillhelpimprovebudgetingandincome predictions
Cooperationwiththemillensuresthefarmisgrowingthebestvarietiesformilling
Providesinformationtothefarmaboutendconsumerandproductfeedback
Renewable energy
Graindriersarefuelledbywoodchipproducedfrommaterialssourcedonthe farm
Eliminatesexternalcostsofdryingandreducesrelianceonfossilfuelsandtheir associated costs
Grain dryer fuelled by woodchip
Improving soil organic matter levels
Soil health Can help reduce the quantity of fertiliser inputs required
Incorporatingcropresidueshelpsincreasethesoil’sorganicmattercontent andimprovesitsfertility,waterholdingcapacity,andstructurewhichbenefits cropgrowingconditions
Using Yara N–Sensor technology
Itsusehasoptimisednitrogenapplications,whicharenowappliedaccordingto aspecificcropdemandratherthanablanketapproach
Improvescombineefficiencyduetoamoreevencropatharvest
3McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
Maintenance of polder dams and drains
Ecosystem protection
Clearanceofweedsinthedrainagesystemisundertakenviamechanicalmeans ratherthanusingchemicalcontrolwhichprotectsthesurroundingecosystems
Controlwaterlevels,preventssoilsaturationandfloodingoffieldsandimproves growingconditions
Wild meadows and grasslands
Encouragesandimprovesthelocalbiodiversityonfarm
SupportsthebiodiversityandculturalvalueoftheneighbouringNationalPark
Employment contracts, health insurance and accommodation
Staff Goodworkenvironmentandconditionsimprovesstaffretentionandreduces employment costs
Individualstafffacilitiesprovidesstaffmemberswithpersonalspaceandthe opportunitytorelaxandsocialise
Insuranceisprovidedtoallstaffwhichisagreatemployeebenefit
“ Ialwayswantedtorunmyownfarm,butinGermanythiswasnotpossibleduetothecostofland.ThisiswhatledmetoLatviaandhereIsawthegreatopportunitiesavailable,Istartedwith100hectaresin2003andhavesinceinvestedinmorelandandthefarm’sinfrastructuretohelpbuildanddevelopasustainablefarmingbusinessofover4000hectares.Ihavelearntagreatdealandappreciatethebenefitofunderstandingandcollaboratingwithourcustomers.In2008weformedapartnershipwithTartuVeskimilltogrowwheatoncontractforthem;thishasbeenaverysuccessfulventureandbroughtusincontactwithMcDonald’s.
WhenwewereselectedtobecomeaMcDonald’sFlagshipFarmitwasaveryproudmomentasIfeelthisisrecognitionforthehardworkofmystaffandmeandthepartnershipwithDobeleandMcDonald’s.”
Friedrich Haase
4McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
FriedrichgrewuponthefamilyfarmintheregionofGöttingen,centralGermany.Afterleavingthearmyin1998FriedrichundertookhisstudiesinforestryandagricultureattheUniversitiesofFreiburg,GöttingenandBerlinandgainedexperienceworkingonfarmsthroughoutGermanyandEurope.
AtthetimeFriedrichfinishedhisstudies,reunificationofEasternandWesternGermanyhadtakenplace,whichmeantthatmuchoftheavailablefarmlandhadalreadybeenacquired.FriedrichchosetolookfurtherafieldforopportunitiestostarthisownbusinessandpurchasedthefarminLatviain2003with102hectaresofland.Overtimethefarmhasgrowntocover4,100hectaresandthebusinessnowemploysateamof24full–timestaff.Thelandincludes1000hectaresofforestand2,650hectaresofarableland.Thefarmgrowsoats,winterandspringwheat,withcerealsaccountingfo50%ofthecropsgrownonthefarm.Theremainderofthelandisplantedwithoilseedrapeandbeans.Threehundredhectaresisalsoreservedasnaturalhabitatstosupportlocalwildlife.
Friedrich, what attracted you to this specific area of Latvia?
Havingexperienceddifferentarablesystems,IwaslookingforanareawhereIcoulddevelopasustainablearablebusiness.WhenwefirstlookedinLatviatherewereveryfewfarmsintheMadonaregion(situatedinEasternLatvia)andalargeproportionofthefieldswereeithernotinproductionorwereinpoorcondition.Therefore,thelandwasrelativelyinexpensiveandthisgaveustheopportunitytoestablishthebusinessandexpandaswehavegrown.
Therearesomebigchallengestofarminghere,butit’saverybeautifularea;we’reborderedbytheTeiciNationalPark,alargetundrawithforestandmanylakes,includingtheLuban,whichisthelargestlakeinLatvia.
You mentioned the challenges of farming in this region, what are they?
Ourmainchallengesarewatermanagementanddrainagealongwithsoilhealth.Thisregionisquiteflatandlowlyingandcombinedwiththeareasheavyrainfallmeansthelandrequiresagood,wellmaintaineddrainagesystemtocontrolwaterlevels.Also,soilqualityispoorbecausemuchofthelandwasnotinaproductivestate,orwaspoorlymaintainedwhenitwaspurchased,weareworkinghardtoimprovesoilhealth.Thesehavebeenourbiggestchallengestodate.
Background
5McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
How do you maintain the drainage systems on the farm?
Wehaveintroducedmanagementpractices to maintain the polder dams and drainagenetworks,whichhelpimprovefieldconditionsandavoidthefieldsandsoilbecomingsaturatedandwaterlogged.We are careful to ensure that this managementdoesnotimpactthewaterecosystemsintheareaandwetakecaretomonitorwaterlevelsonthelandanddirectourmanagementpracticesaccordingly.Itisveryimportanttoregularlyclean out and clear the ditches and waterwaystoensuretheyareoperatingeffectively;periodicallywehavetorenewsomeoftheoldSoviet–eradrainagesystems.We’ve
investedinnewtractormountedbrushcuttingequipmenttohelpcleartheweedsandbushesthatgrownearthedrainageditchesandrivers.Thisensuresthewaterwaysremainunobstructed,allowingthewatertoflowmoreeffectively.Theaimofthisistoensurethelanddoesn’tbecomesaturatedorwaterloggedasthisimpactsourabilitytofarmthelandsustainably.
Thelargerpiecesofclearedbrushandwoodfromtheditchesandwaterways,alongwithotherwoodclearedfromaroundthefarmarecollected and dried on farm. We then hire a local contractor to come tothefarmandchipallthisintowoodchip.Wethenburnthewoodchipinourbiomassgraindrierstoprovidetheheatweneedtodrythegraintotherequiredmoisturecontentsoitcanbestoredonfarm.
Therefore,throughthemanagementoftheditchesandwaterwaysweareabletomaintainthefarm’sdrainagesystemwhilstutilisingthewastewoodtoprovideuswitharenewableandsustainableenergysource.
What technologies have you introduced to address some of the soil fertility issues?
Wefirststartedsoilsamplingandtestingthenutrientcontentofoursoilsin2005,weemployedanumberoflocalagronomiststotakethesamplesandrecordedtheresultsmanually.Inspring2012weintroduceddigitalsoilnutrientmapping.ThisbegantobuildupaGPSmapofthefarmusingsoilnutrientsamplestakeneverythreehectares.Fromthiswe’veseenthatsoilnutrientlevelsvaryconsiderablyacrossmostofthefields.Evenwithinonefieldthevariationcanbesizeable.We’renowusingthisdatatotargetandadjustfertilisertreatmentsacrossthefields.TheinformationisremotelyenteredintoaGPSguidancesystemonthefertilizerspreadersothattheapplicationrateisautomaticallyadjustedinresponsetothedatafromthedigitalsoilmaps.
Assoilqualityispoor,weneedtooptimisefertiliserapplicationsacrossthefarmtoensurecropyieldsaremaximized.Byoptimisingourfertiliserapplicationswecanreducetheriskofnutrientlossesintothesurroundingenvironmentandthisincreasesthereturnoninvestmentforanexpensiveinput.
“We’veinvestedinnewcuttingequipmenttoensurewaterwaysremainunobstructed.Thisreducesthe need for chemical sprays and provides a fuel sourceforourgraindrier”
6McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
What benefits has the targeted application of nutrients delivered to the business?
We’renowapplyingnutrientsinresponsetothecropsneeds,whichhelpstooptimisecropgrowth.UsingthesoilnutrientmapsandGPStechnologyhassavedusaround10–15%onfertilizercostsandwearealsousinglessfuel.It’salsohelpedincreasetheefficiencyofthespreaderandreducedtheworkloadforus,helpingtofreeuptimeforothertasks.Withlargescalefarmingoperationslikeours,precisionagricultureisakeyinvestmentarea.
WehavealsoinvestedinaYaraNSensor,thisdeviceisfittedtothecabofthetractorandanalysesthecrops’lightreflectanceasitdrivesthroughthefield.Thiscalculatesthenitrogenrequirementsandisabletomakereal–timeadjustmentstotheapplicationrateensuringoptimumnitrogenapplicationrateforthat area.
What other practices have you introduced to try and improve soil health & fertility?
Soilqualityintheareaisquitepoorandwhenwetestedsoilorganicmatterlevelsonfarmtheywerearound1.8%,thereforewe’recarefulnottoremoveanyorganicmaterialfromthefields,exceptthegrainitself.DuringharvestallcerealstrawischoppedandleftonthefieldwhichprovidesasourceoforganicmaterialtohelpincreaseSOMlevels.WeknowthatincreasingSOMlevelswilltakealongtime,butimprovingthisiskeytoahealthysoilandsustainablefarming.Theaddedbenefitofincorporatingthecerealstrawisthelevelofpotashandphosphatethatarereturnedtothesoil(seeTable1).
Table 1. Examplenutrientcontent(Kg/t)offresh–weightstraw
Phosphate kg P2O5/t
Potash kg K2O/t
Magnesiumkg MgO/t
Winter wheat/barleystraw
1.2 9.5 1.3*
Springwheat/barleystraw
1.5 12.5 1.2*
Source: HGCA (http://www.hgca.com/media/183781/is05_nutrient_content_in_cereal_straw.pdf)
Wegrowwheattwiceinafour–yearrotationalongwithbeansandoilseedrape,increasingthenumbercropswithintherotationhelpstoincreasesoilfertilityandquality.Growingbeansalsohelpsto
aerateandimprovesoilstructureandincreasenitrogencontentthroughnitrogen–fixingbacteria(Rhizobia)ontheplantsroots.Thecroprotationalsohelpstodecreasethelevelofcropdiseasesbyreducingtheoccurrenceofrootpathogensandpreventingabuildupofresistancetoplantprotectionproducts.We’recurrentlyplantingaround40%ofthelandtobeansandoilseedrapeatanyonetime,butaimtoincreasethisto45–50%ofthetotalgrowingareatofurtherimprovesoilfertilityandhelpmanagecropdiseasesandweedcontrol.
GPStechnologyhassaved us around 10–15%onnitrogeninput costs
EU Soils Report classifies soil organic matter as follows. Friedrich’s land is low at 1.8%OM, which makes improving the soil organic matter a priority for his business.
Source:EUROPAhttp://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ESDB_Archive/eusoils_docs/other/ESF_OM7.pdf
Soil Organic Matter Level
High >10.2%
Medium 3.4–10.2%
Low 1.7–3.4%
Verylow <1.7%
7McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
Wearetrialingtheapplicationofbeneficialbacteriatothesoilhopingtoincreasesoilfertilitythroughtheirabilitytofixatmosphericnitrogen,whichcouldhelpwithotherprocessesoccurringwithinthesoilsuchasthebreakdownanddecompositionofplantmaterial.
Wearealsocurrentlyworkingwithacompany to help monitor and improve the micro–element levels in thesoilwiththeaimtoincreasecropproductivity and quality.
How is seedbed preparation undertaken?
Conventionalmethodsofpreparingthesoilbyploughingburyalloftheresidualcropresiduesandweedseeds,butitdisruptsthesoilstructure and on our land can lead tosoilerosionbywindandwater.Inorder to protect the soil structure, welimittheuseofconventionalploughingtoonceeveryfouryearsand employ several alternative methodstoprepareseedbedsandreduceweedgrowth.Ploughingisalsoatimeconsumingandafuelintensiveoperationtoundertake,soreducingtheneedtodothisisimportantforustopractice.
Ourseedbedpreparationdependsonvariousfactors,includingthepreviouscropandweatherconditions.Aftergrowingoilrapeseedorbeans,wegenerallycultivateanddrillinasingleoperationorwemaycultivatethesoilwithasetofdiscspriortodrilling.Theresidualplantmaterialisnotproblematicforwheatgrowthandiseasilyincorporatedintothesoil.
Whenwedrilloursecondwheatsintherotationitisusefultopassovertheseedbedtwicewiththediscstoensurethatthestrawiswellincorporatedintothesoilanddoesnottransferdiseasetotheemergingwheatplants.Inthiscase,wecandiscimmediatelyafterharvestingwhichencouragesweedseedtogerminateandthenjustpriortodrillingwecultivateoncemoretomechanicallydestroyanygrowth.Thathelpsustoreducetheamountofplantprotectionproducts(PPPs)requiredtocontrolweedgrowthintheemergingcrop.
Whentheweatheristoowetorwehavelimitedresources(labour,timeorrisingfueluse),thiscanaffectourseedbedpreparation.Inthesecaseswecanspreadtheseedwithourfertiliserspreaderfollowedbyasinglepassofthediscstocovertheseedandaeratethesoilforrootdevelopment.
Usinglegumesasapre–orbreak–crophasbeenshowntoincreasetheyieldofcerealcropsbetween15–25%overcontinuouscerealplanting,evenwhenfertilizerisapplied for optimum yield
Source: Peoples et al., (2009) The contribution of nitrogen–fixing legumes to the productivity of agricultural systems. Symbiosis 48: 1–17
8McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
How have these practices improved wheat production on the farm?
OuraverageyieldsinthefirstcoupleofyearsfarminginLatviawerearoundfourtonnesofwinterwheatandonetonneofspringwheat.Ouraverageyieldsin2012were6.7tonnesofwinterwheatand5tonnesofspringwheat.Inthefuture,we’rehopingtoharvestbetween7and8tonnesofwinterandmorethan6tonnesofspringwheat.Sowearepleasedwiththeresultsandthisshowstheeffortweareputtingintomanagingthefarmispayingoff.
Thequalityofourharvestedwheatisalsoimproving;wehaveseengoodproteinquantityandquality(ZelenyIndex)andgraindensity(hectoliters)whicharesuitableforflourmaking.
What other investments have you made on the farm?
InLatviamostcerealfarmsoperateaspartofacooperative,sellingintoacentralstorethatcontrolstheintake,dryingandsubsequentsaleofthegrain.In2008,weinstalledaSaatotulibatchdrierfordryingourownharvestedgrain,havingourowngraindrierhasgivenusmoreflexibilityinthewhenandwhattoharvest.Thesystemisfullyautomatedtoloadandoperateandrequiresminimalinputintermsoflabour.Thedrierisfueledbywoodchipwhichismadefromthewoodsourcedfromclearingthewaterwaysaroundthefarm.Thisisquiteacostsavingasthefossilfuelequivalentisaroundseventimesmoreexpensivethanwoodchip.
In2012wealsoinvestedinnewgrainstoragefacilitieswithaholdingcapacityof12,000tonnesandhasallowedustoexpandthefarmandbusinessaccordingly.Storinggraingivesustheopportunitytotailoroursalesinresponsetothemarket.Beingmoreindependentisimportantforus,asthefarmislocatedfarfromgoodtransportationroutesandindustrialprocessingareassohavingsomeflexibilityinourgrainmarketingiskeytoourbusinessstrategy.
In2012thefarmachievedananveragewheatyieldof6.7tonnes/hectare.ThiscomparestotheaverageLatvianwheatyieldin2012of4.3tonnesperhectare(FAO Stat 2014)
“Installingourowngraindrierandstoregivesusflexibilityandallowsustoadjustsalesinresponsetochangesinmarketprice”
9McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
What are the challenges of marketing and selling your grain in Latvia?
Inthepastwesoldourgraintothenearestcompanythatwouldprocess,storeandmarketit.However,itwasexpensiveandweincurredalotofcosts,fordrying,cleaningandstorage,therewerealsodifficultieswithtransportandthedeliveryofgrainintotheprocessor.Ultimatelythecontractswereunsustainableandwehadtofindanalternative.Now,becausewehaveinvestedinourowndryingandstoragefacilitieswecandealdirectlywiththebuyers,givingusthefreedomtochooseourpartnersourselves.I’velearnedsincefarminginLatviatheimportanceofchoosingpartnersthatsuityourbusinessneeds.In2004wedevelopedthe‘Agrikula’brandtomarketourrawmaterialsandtheaimistogrowqualitywheatformillingsoweareabletosellintothepremiummarket.
In2008weformedapartnershipwithDobeleDzirnavnieks,oneofthelargestgrainmillingandprocessingcompanieswithtradeinbothnationalandinternationalmarkets.WecontractasetnumberofhectarestoDobeleMillandworkwiththemtogrowthemostsuitablevarietyforthemarket.Lastyearweproduced3,800tonnesofwheatforDobelewithaproteincontentofupto17%.Wearealsogrowing125hectaresofoatsoncontractforthemillwhichisdestinedforhumanconsumptionandweareachievinganaverageyieldof4.6tonnes/hectare.Nextyearwehopetoagainsellthembetween6,000to7,000tonnesofcereals.
What benefits has this partnering delivered to the business?
WesendthebestqualitygraintoDobeleDzirnavnieksandTartuVeskimills,astheirphilosophyandapproachtobusinesssuitours.Theyoperatetoahighstandardandhavealong–termbusinessplan,soasaresulttheypayahigherpremiumforgoodqualitygrain.Theyalsoprovideuswithimportantinformationaboutthequalityofourwheatandwhereourproductisdestinedfor,allowingustogettoknowthefinalcustomerandwhatgrainvarietiesaremostsuitable.Wehaveagoodpartnershipandworktogethertocontinuouslyimproveourrelationship.
Do you think it’s important to know who the end customer for your wheat is?
Althoughit’slessimportantfinanciallytoknowwhotheendcustomeris,formepersonallyitmeansalottoknowtheendresultofthefoodweworkhardtoproduce.Itgivesmeagoodfeelingandreducestheenormousamountofanonymitytoknowmoreorlesswhowillbethelastclientintheline–knowingthatMcDonald’saresellingbunsmadewithourgraingivesmeagreatsenseofpride.Ialsothinkit’simportantforMcDonald’scustomerstobeabletolearnmoreabouttheentirefoodchain,fromtheprimaryproducerallthewaytotheMcDonald’srestaurantthey’reeatingin.
“Dealingdirectlywithbuyersallowsusthefreedom to allocate the bestgraintospecificbuyersthatprovidethebestreturns”
10McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
How do you ensure the quality demands of your customers are addressed?
In2011wereceivedapprovalthroughtheBQMfarmassuranceschemeandin2012wewereapprovedundertheGlobalGAPassurancescheme.Wereceiveanannualauditthatcoversstandardsoffoodsafety,workerwelfare,environmentalmanagementandgoodpracticethroughoutallstagesofcropproduction.Theauditshavehelpedtoengagethefarmstaffinbestpracticeandfocusonkeyareasofimprovementthathavebeenidentified.Forexamplewetakeasampleofeverybatchofgraincomingintothestoreandrecordsaremaintainedforthepurposesoftraceability.WeseeGlobalGAPasbeinganimportantpartofthebusiness,whichinturnenhancesthemarketabilityofourproduct.
How do you protect the farm’s natural habitats?
Thelocalenvironmentisveryimportant,forexamplethenationalparkbringsecologicalandculturalvaluetotheareaandthemanylakesintheparksupportbothmarketandrecreationalfishing.Weencouragelocalbiodiversitybykeepingsomeofthefarmaswildmeadowsandecologicalgrasslandsthatwecutonceperyeartoencouragelocalflora,insects and small mammals to the area.
11McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
How do you maintain staff retention and improve their skills?
Intotalwehave24fulltimeemployeesonthefarmandduringthebusyharvestingseasonweemployseveralpart–timestaff.Theworkonthefarmcanbedemandingand hard, therefore it’s important to create asupportiveworkingenvironment,bothsociallyandfinancially.Withintheteam,peopleworkwelltogether,althoughit’simportanttoprovidefacilitieswheretheyhavetheirownspace,sohavingprivateaccommodationtorelaxinisinvaluablefortheteamtocooperateandworkwelltogether.
Weprovidestafftoiletsandwashroomsaswellasasaunaonsite.Workingclothesandinsurancearealsoprovided.Someofthestaffhavebeenworkingwithmeformanyyearsandtheyliketheatmosphereandthesecuresocialandfinancialsituationprovidedbythebusiness.
WherepossibleIencourageandsupportmystafftogainmoreskillsandagriculturalknowledge,ofcourseitisalsoinmyowninterestthattheirknowledgeisalwaysuptodate.Similarly,weofferworkexperienceduringharvesttolocalstudentswhichprovidesthemwithvaluableexperienceaboutthefarmingindustry.Thestudentsareabletolearnfromtheteamhereandareabletocontributetothedailyoperationofthefarm.
Forthevariousmachinerywehave,manyofourstaffhavebeentrainedandhavespecificlicencesfordrivingthemachines.Whenwehavebriefingsfromthemachinerydealersaboutusingmachinesthenallthestaffattendtolearnandaskquestions.IvisitasmanyexhibitionsaspossibleandalwaystakeasmanystaffwithmeasIcansothattheycansharetheexperience.
What future developments are you planning for the farm?
Ourplansforthefuturearefocusedupondevelopingnewareasofcultivation,controllingweedgrowthandimprovingsoilquality.Forexample,incorporatingagreaterproportionofleguminouscropsintothecroprotationwillimprovesoilfertilityandreduceourfertilizerrequirements.We’realsolookingtoimproveefficiencyoffertilizerinputthroughcombinedapplicationofliquidnitrogenandherbicide.
“We strive for a supportive environment; sociallyandfinanciallyandwehavelongstandingstaffwhostaybecausetheylikethesecurityandatmosphere”
12McDonald’s Europe Flagship Farms Friedrich Hasse, Latvia 23/11/2014 www.flagshipfarms.eu
Appendix – Good Practice Matrix for Friedrich Haase
Ethical (acceptable practices)
Animal health & welfarei Nutritionii Medication&growthpromotersiiiGeneticselectionivAnimalcloningv Husbandryvi TransportviiSlaughter
Human health & welfarei Employeehealth&welfareii Food safety
Business ethics & supplier relationships
Rural landscape preservation
Environment (protecting the planet)
Economics (long–term economic viability)
Climate changei Greenhousegasemissionsii Energyefficiency &renewables
Natural resources – soili Soilfertility&healthii Soilerosion,desertification &salinisation
iiiSoilcontamination
Sufficient high quality productioni Producerincomesecurity &accesstomarket
ii AgriculturalinputcostsiiiCrop&livestockdisease
Natural resources – wateri Water pollutionii Waterusageefficiency
Natural resources – airi Air emissions
Agrotechnologyi Agrochemicalusageii Bioconcentration&persistentorganicpollutants
iiiGeneticallymodifiedorganisms
Community investmenti Localemployment&sourcingii Supportforcommunityprogrammes
Ecosystem protectioni HighConservationValueLand(HCVL)
ii Habitat&speciespreservation
Wastei Productionwasteii HazardouswasteiiiWastetolandfill
ThefollowingmatrixhasbeendevelopedbyMcDonald’stohelpassessthesustainabilityoftheagriculturalproductionwithinthesupplychain.Flagshipfarmshavebeenidentifiedthatdemonstratebestpracticeinoneormoreofthe17keyareasinthematrix,whilstalsooperatingtogeneralhighagriculturalstandardsinallotherareas.
A inthematrixbelowindicatesgoodpracticesdemonstratedinthiscasestudy.