Cefetra pays first farmers in nature-friendly farming pilot

Grain trader and supplier Cefetra has made its first payments to farmers for carrying out sustainable farming practices, and is working to expand the scheme further.

The company launched Cefetra Ecosystem Services in 2023, in partnership with agronomy firm Soil Capital.

The sustainability programme provides financial incentives to farm businesses for reducing emissions and adopting sustainable farming practices.

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Farmers who took part in the scheme were provided with a number of tools by Soil Capital to help make environmental improvements based on real farm data.

This also enables the company to supply customers further along the supply chain with cereals and oilseeds that carry verified sustainability credentials, helping them meet their own sustainability and Scope 3 emissions reduction targets.

Jason Hayward-Jones, sustainability specialist for agriculture at Cefetra, said: “With recent hot summers and variable weather highlighting the need for incentives to encourage farmers to play their part, we are pleased to confirm that the first Cefetra Ecosystem Services cohort has been paid for its efforts.

“The second cohort is already under way, with 70% more farmers than the first round.

“This group’s output encompasses 25 crops, with landowning covering 70% more land, giving us confidence that the programme will continue growing in the future.”