New Woolworths Grants NOW CLOSED
New Woolworths grants available for sustainable agriculture projects
As part of their continuing partnership, Landcare Australia and Woolworths have launched the Woolworths Fresh Food Future program.
As one element of this new program, Woolworths is providing $150,000 of funding towards a grants program to help farming groups develop or implement sustainable farming practices.
Following on from significant stakeholder consultation in 2010, Woolworths and Landcare Australia pinpointed three key areas where support relating to on-farm practices was needed. The recommendations endorsed projects that would support farmers in the adoption of technology or practices to improve water use efficiency, nutrient management and their carbon footprint. The grants will be awarded to farming groups and each grant can be up to a maximum of $10,000 to implement a project which addresses one of these key areas.
Pat McEntee Woolworths General Manager Fresh Food believes that the grants will provide opportunities across many agricultural sectors for farmers to improve the sustainability of their operations.
“The new grants now available in the Woolworths Fresh Food Future program is an important investment by Woolworths to continue supporting the sustainable production and supply of Australian food and is open to all farming groups or organisations involved in the primary production sector. “
Landcare Australia CEO, Heather Campbell, hopes that the grants available will encourage farmers to investigate the new innovations available in the sustainable agriculture sector.
“We are delighted to be involved with the Woolworths Fresh Food Future program. It is an opportunity for Landcare to provide further support for sustainable agriculture practices. The Woolworths grants now available in this program will give farming groups the funding they need to explore new and improved methods of increasing sustainability,” she commented.
Applications close on Monday, May 30th and further information, criteria and application forms can be found here.
About Woolworths Fresh Food Future
Woolworths has partnered with Landcare Australia since 2007 to support the Woolworths Sustainable Agriculture program, which has delivered funding to over 150 projects around Australia.
These include projects across many rural industries that have engaged large numbers of farmers through training, developing new technology, and/or validating farm management options. A wide range of issues have been addressed including improved grazing management in beef production, better climate adaptation responses in mixed farming, new crop and orchard species, evaluation of low-rainfall pasture cultivars, better fertiliser decisions, cereal stubble management, improved fallow efficiency in dryland cropping, precision agriculture, and carbon mitigation in horticulture and dairying.
In 2010, Woolworths reviewed their Sustainable Agriculture program to align it more closely with the future needs of sustainable food supply. Woolworths recognised that higher input costs, climate change and a rising population have the potential to impact on food supply and consumption. The Fresh Food Future Program is an ongoing investment from Woolworths to fund and promote new projects that improve the sustainability of the food supply chain.
The Fresh Food Future Program will address the important issues that impact on the supply of fresh food to Australian consumers, with particular relevance for Woolworths suppliers and the Woolworths “Fresh” supply chain. Woolworths pledged an additional $3.25m for 2011 financial year for its Fresh Food Future program to identify risks and trends impacting on the sustainability of the supply chain, increase productivity, provide training and leadership, and improve consumer awareness about sustainable food production.
