Ivel Valley Bird Food joins the global movement to reduce carbon emissions and environmental pollution. We strive to revolutionise our organisation to operate sustainably for the survival of our planet and its ecosystem. Not only are we delighted to be playing our part, but we want our customers to feel satisfied knowing they're making green choices when purchasing from Ivel Valley Bird Food. 

Our green mission

Here's how Ivel Valley Bird Food is aiming to be the nation's greenest bird food supplier.

Green Packaging

Since the beginning, we have been on a journey to find eco-friendly alternatives to achieve 100% recyclable packaging. We are pleased to announce that after many trials, we have now reached the mark that over 95% of our packaging is recyclable! We are delighted with our achievements so far, but it hasn't come without its challenges. Even with the majority of our packaging being recyclable, there are still 1 or 2 products that contain a small amount of plastic. However, we are more determined than ever to reach that 100% mark and will continue to seek new alternatives until we get to the finish line.  

Packaging that is currently 100% recyclable:

• All 12.55kg products that come in a paper sack are fully green bin recyclable. These sacks are 100% paper. 
• All of our brown boxes are fully recyclable and are made using recycled materials.
• For some products, we also use second-hand boxes to help with our "reuse, recycle" ethos.
• The box liners we use in our 12.55kg and 20kg boxes.
• Most of the wrapping on our 2/4/6kg and small products is oxo-biodegradable and identified with oxo-biodegradable icons on the packaging. Click here to find out more about our oxo-biodegradable packaging.
• Please note: not all plastics are green bin recyclable; this will vary depending on your local council.

Sustainable Farming

As the planet's temperature rises, we are all inclined to play our part in reducing climate change and making more environmentally friendly choices. With our bird food and other produce being grown, harvested and distributed on the farm, we as farmers understand the important role we must play. 

According to the EEA, Agriculture accounted for 10% of the EU's total greenhouse-gas emissions in 2012. So there is no question that farms must consider a more eco-friendly approach to operating as a business. 

Thankfully, sustainability is at the core of what we do, and we have already adopted precision farming techniques to optimise the resources required to grow our crops! By making use of mother nature's elements, we have made huge investments in renewable energy. Across our fields, you'll find hundreds of solar panels and even a wind turbine that generate energy to power our warehouses and storage units. 

We reduce our tap water usage by using the most advanced and efficient watering techniques. Our multiple reservoirs across the fields collect and store rainwater, which will then be used to irrigate crops. 

Not only do we work hard to reduce our carbon footprint, but we also strive to help our ecosystem too! Our fields are bordered by planted hedgerows to supply wildlife with more sources of natural food and habitats. We have also allocated fields to grow Phacelia, a purple flower that produces masses of pollen for pollinating insects to enjoy. Find out how else we are supporting our wildlife here.

Credentials

LEAF

Our produce is grown under the L.E.A.F. (Linking Environment and Farming) protocol, the leading environmental growing programme in the UK. The LEAF approach is built around the whole-farm principles of Integrated Farm Management (IFM), which achieves a balance between the best modern technology and sound traditional methods whilst enriching the environment. Under the LEAF program, we as a farm have pledged to assess and provide for 4 species (2 being endangered) to up their population. Click here to meet our Four Focus Species and find out how else we are helping our farm's ecosystem.

Red Tractor

Our farm is also certified under Red Tractor, which is the UK's largest farm and food standards scheme, covering animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection. Being Red Tractor certified confirms that we give clear identification of our products throughout the supply chain to ensure full traceability back to our farm. It also ensures all our employees are fully qualified and have regular training to carry out their jobs efficiently.

GLOBALGAP

We operate to GLOBALGAP standards and collaborate with supply chain stakeholders to foster the global adoption of safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices. This is achieved by providing industry-leading, cost-effective and value-adding assurance and benchmarking solutions. We also qualify for the GLOBALGAP add-on, GRASP, which helps farms establish a good social management system.

Sedex 

We have joined the world’s leading ethical trade membership organisation to promote responsible business, sourcing responsibly and improving ethical standards and working conditions within the supply chain.

BRC

We are BRC accredited! BRC is the British Retail Consortium that implements various campaigns within a retail space that support matters such as:

• Senior management commitments
• Food safety- HACCP
• Food safety and quality management
• Site standards
• Product and process control
• Personnel