Sofina Foods Europe, one of the UK’s biggest pork processors, has unveiled a new initiative to support UK and Irish pig producers respond collectively to the challenges faced on farm.
Through the Sofina Connect programme, the processor will work with farmers and customers, with the aim of creating ‘a more connected and sustainable supply chain’.
Sofina, which owns pig herds, including outdoor units in Scotland, said the partnership model will see customers working with it and its farmer suppliers to support ‘continuous improvement’ across areas like animal health and welfare, people, business resilience and the environment.
Sofina Connect is built on six pillars of activity that interconnect with each other to build resilience at farm level.
- The Animal Health and Welfare pillar will focus on helping farmers to undertake continuous improvement on pig welfare in key areas, including a clear pathway to establishing flexible farrowing systems.
- Farm and Welfare data will be captured through a central Welfare Hub to provide greater transparency across the supply chain.
- To accelerate innovation, a network of farmers will be supported to undertake Research and Development, addressing knowledge gaps and driving innovation.
- The Environment & Natural Resources pillar will focus on improving. soil health, water quality and biodiversity on farm as well as initiatives to reduce emissions such as low carbon nutrition.
- Peer-to-peer learning will be the foundation of the People pillar, developing farm teams to continuously improve technically and as managers in their businesses.
- Finally, support will be given to improve economic resilience and develop a supplier base that is adaptable and sustainable for the long term.
The programme will operate a point-based system where farmers can select areas that are most relevant to their units to undertake activity on.
Points will be weighted towards areas where progress is of most importance, for example animal welfare. Standards will be regularly reviewed to ensure they remain above the industry baseline and continue to drive continuous improvement across the sector.
Collaboration is key
“At a time when domestic food security is more important than ever and demand for British pork is rising, it’s essential that we strengthen the pork supply chain in the UK and Ireland,” said Graham Wilkinson, Group Agriculture Director at Sofina Foods Europe.
“This requires collaboration. The industry faces shared challenges but too often it is producers on the ground that are left to bear the risk and cost of making improvements with no clear direction on what the industry really needs. We are facing into these challenges with Sofina Connect.
“By sharing risk across the supply chain we can support farmers to continually improve in areas that matter to customers and consumers. Alongside helping to create a sustainable future for our farmer suppliers, it also enables us to secure a long-term supply of British pork for and with our customers.
“Too often the industry calls for collaboration but there is very little action. Here at Sofina, we are lucky to work with many fantastic independent pig farmers.
Sofina Connect gives us a real opportunity to bring the industry together and take decisive action that supports these farmers to move the dial in all areas of pig production, ultimately benefitting both their businesses and the wider industry.”
Sofina is currently consulting with customers and farmer suppliers on the final details of the programme, ‘to ensure it is practical to implement and comprehensively covers every area needed to drive forward the UK and Irish pork industry’, he said.
Sofina Foods Europe’s pork division operates from 27 sites across Europe including major processing sites in Malton and Cookstown.
The company employs around 8,000 people across the UK and Ireland, with strong presence also in seafood, including the Young’s brand.