A range of sustainable produce including cheese, gin, smoked salmon, wine, ice cream and Barnaby’s Brewhouse beers were showcased at an event run by Cerno Capital in Mayfair, London on Thursday 19 September.
The ‘Harvest Festival’ themed party featured Helen Browning, CEO of the Soil Association who gave an poignant overview of the work and research that the organisation undertakes and why sustainable production is essential for the healthy future of the planet and its climate. She explained the intricate relationships between soil quality, organic farming, biodiversity and climate and also described how innovative farming practices designed to protect our environment can produce the yields required to feed growing populations. These included changes in farming practices, such as the interspersing of soft fruit and nut trees with arable land – and technological innovations – such as lightweight robotic farm machinery that doesn’t compact soils in the way large industrial tractors do.
Whilst much of her talk was optimistic she was clear that there is no room for complacency in tackling these problems and she praised the awareness raising of movements such as Greta Thunberg’s climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion as well as practical projects funded by organisations such as the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
Having just won the Environmental Sustainability Award in Taste of the West 2019 we were pleased to be able to share details of our plans for an ambitious social enterprise focusing on eliminating waste in the business ecosystem and auditing energy usage in product lifecycles. We talked to a number of Cerno Capital investors and were delighted at the interest there now seems to be in funding ethical and legacy projects.
More details on our plans for the future will come in the following weeks.
