Care for the Environment
With the expansion of our agricultural operations, we recognise the impact we have on the environment. This is why we have outlined strategies for addressing environmental challenges across five different areas.
Partners for Environmental Development
The Summer Berry Company has signed a five year commitment with Soil Association Exchange, that will support measuring biodiversity efforts, oversee farm practices, and improve the current farm management.
By partnering with Globalbit in Portugal, TSBC will leverage its extensive expertise in biodiversity services. This collaboration includes remote monitoring and conservation techniques, habitat modeling, species distribution modeling, and biodiversity assessment metrics. Additionally, Globalbit will provide training and coaching on biodiversity issues for business teams, as well as help identify and evaluate the company’s most significant environmental actions related to biodiversity.
TSBC has successfully enrolled in Climate Farm Demo project, an initiative that is perfectly aligned with the company’s sustainable goals and that brings together innovative agricultural practices and sustainability efforts from across Europe.
The project enables
– carbon footprint analysis
– access to expert knowledge
– networking opportunities and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange
– tailored solutions for farm management
Landscape ecosystem and biodiversity management
Maintaining a healthy and diverse ecosystem is essential for the long-term health and productivity of agricultural land, as well as for the preservation of natural habitats and species. In this context, assessing current land use practices is an important step for our company to identify potential improvements and develop strategies for enhancing biodiversity and sustainability.
Some key objectives we have set regarding ecosystem and biodiversity management include:
- Constant monitoring of the ecosystem health, practices and infrastructures
- The development on an ecosystem management plan
- Engagement with stakeholders
Success Story: Biodiverse production systems
Our farms are complex, resilient ecosystems where many different types of plants thrive. We let vegetation grow within our crop environment, which encourages different forms of life, including auxiliary organisms that help us in the fight against pests.
The action of these friendly predators prevents infestations and allowed us to reduce the use of pesticides by 70%.
Our dedicated nursery is used for propagating plant species beneficial to biodiversity.
- Hedges serve as an important habitat and food sources for pollinators and other wildlife.
- We incorporate native flowers into every crop row. Native flowers provide essential habitat and food sources for pollinators and other wildlife, and they can help to improve soil health by attracting beneficial insects and microorganisms.
- Companion plants, part of as cover crop mixes, are another essential tool for promoting biodiversity and enhancing soil biodiversity health.
- We implement no-till agriculture on 100% of our cropland. This practice helps to reduce soil disturbance and erosion and can lead to improved soil health and productivity over time.
Water stewardship
Water is a crucial resource for an agricultural company like ours, as we rely on it for our production processes. Some of our production sites are also located in semi-arid regions, where droughts pose a real threat.
Commitment to responsible water management and mitigating potential risks associated with water scarcity, are essential aspects of our environmental strategy. Therefore, we are committed to:
- Having an up-to-date assessment of our farm water resources and a management plan according to the status of those resources
- Reducing our water consumption and increase the overall efficiency
- Promoting the quality of the water in our ecosystems
- Maximising water re-use and recycling
- Grey water use for hedge irrigation
Success Story: Efficient management of water resources
In 2023, 53% of the water used in our Portuguese farms was water collected from rain and water recycled or reused. At our A-de-Mateus farm in Portugal, a runoff water harvesting system was implemented, recovering 600 m³ of water daily. Our fruit is produced using a highly efficient drip irrigation system. The production tunnels are equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, ensuring minimal water waste. This technology allows each plant to receive precisely the amount of water it needs to thrive.
Energy and carbon footprint
Our core aim is to increasingly decarbonize our sites. To achieve this, we have:
- Established a detailed monitoring programme of current energy consumption and related GHG emissions
- Green Energy contract
- Solar panels used in the UK during the Winter
- Green Energy Solution
- Growing media trials with coconut and biochar with respective partners
Success Story: Green Energy Solution (GES)
2024 marks the beginning of year-round production of British strawberries. This innovation is made possible by the adoption of a Green Energy Solution, which enables sustainable glasshouse cultivation during the winter months while delivering significant environmental benefits. Our solution enhances energy efficiency, allowing us to produce more fruit with fewer resources. It also helps reduce our carbon footprint by: – Utilizing CO2 generated by the Green Energy Solution instead of relying on external sources. – Minimizing the need for off-season imports, enabling us to supply the British market with strawberries all year round and fostering closer connections with our customers.
Learn more.Success Story: Using recycled coir and biochar
TSBC currently partners with Alfarroxo for recycling coir and with Imflorestar, specialists in biocharcoal for domestic and agricultural use.
Learn more.Supply chain sustainability
The sustainability of our supply chain plays an important role in the sustainability of our organisation. When working with partners and suppliers, we need to ensure they follow sustainability standards that align with our corporate sustainability goals. This urges us to:
- Continuously monitor our supply chain
- Follow the pre-defined sustainability standards for our supply chain
- Support suppliers via training programmes
Waste reduction and recycling
We minimise waste and have implemented circular economy solutions for waste management, which means we:
- Recycle and divert waste from land field
- Manage potentially hazardous waste and electronic waste
- Divert organic waste from land fields
- Promote a circular economy by designing products for reuse, recycling or remanufacturing
- Engage with stakeholders to promote responsible waste management
Success story: Zero Fruit waste target achieved in Portugal.
All the berries that are in good condition but do not meet market standards are sent to the wholesale market where they are transformed into various kinds of products or given to charity.
Success story: Partnering with Chichester Fruit & Drink Co for fighting fruit waste
We partner with Chichester Fruit & Drink Co., an organization dedicated to rescuing quality produce that would otherwise go to waste due to market standards. Their innovative air-drying technology effectively preserves this surplus, transforming it into high-quality, intensely flavored ingredients and foods that nourish both people and the planet.
Learn moreFind out more about our social commitment
