A FEW OF OUR AMBASSADORS AND SUPPORTERS

As we have quietly developed Happerley over the last year
we have attracted a wave of support from producers
and others supporting us in our mission to achieve
validated transparency in the food chain.

Professor Peter Edwards

Computing Science, The University of Aberdeen

Professor Peter Edwards and his team collaborated in the design of Happerley.

"Provenance begins with the primary producer, and it is right that a scheme such as Happerley should be producer led. While there is some data in the public domain to aid food traceability and assurance, much of it still remains hidden behind firewalls – such as the cattle movement data (which DEFRA regards as commercially sensitive). The Government could support voluntary schemes such as Happerley by opening up more of its datasets."


Ian Bell OBE

Chief Executive, Addington Fund

“When low commodity prices across all sectors of the farming industry fail to meet the cost of production, the challenge is one of survival. Every week we receive calls from farmers who are, despite working long hours and spending little on their own families, desperately in need of help. Happerley will help level the playing field which is currently leaning towards low cost imports - with lower animal welfare and less environmental care.”

Ian comes from a practical farming background and appreciates the pressures and strains on the working farmer today, and in particular the tenant farmer! Through Addington his two main aims are to provide a dignified retirement or exit for the tenant farmer by providing appropriate accommodation to meet the needs of the individual. Secondly to use the opportunity of helping an older farmer to withdraw from the industry and to create an opportunity for a younger farmer to become established.

The Addington Fund combines its charitable work with a strong business ethos. The business model of the fund is to generate sufficient income from its own resources to cover all operating costs. Every donation received therefore adds to the capacity of the charity to help more families. The current situation of low commodity prices across all sectors of the farming industry is creating more demand than ever.

Find out more by visiting www.addingtonfund.org.uk


Mark Harper MP

MP for Forest of Dean

"I applaud what Clifford and Matthew are doing. As Clifford farms in my constituency I was delighted to attend the launch of their Gloucester Beef. They then spoke to a packed pub of local farmers about their ambition to eventually provide a traceability system to support the wider agricultural industry, free for producers. A year on, they appear to be on course to do exactly that."


Howard Venters

Farming publisher and journalist

Howard is Director of Shepherd Publishing Ltd and farms with permanent grass in Sussex and Herefordshire. 

Howard is responsible for and publisher of a number of highly respected livestock publications including Sheep Breeder, and Beef Farmer. 

Howard is a liveryman of both the Worshipful Company of Farmers and the Worshipful Company of Woolmen. He Chairs the Woolmen’s Livery Committee and military affiliations and is co-organiser of the annual London Sheep Drive over London Bridge. 

Howard was until recently the Deputy Chairman of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists. He was heavily involved in the IFAJ 2014 World Congress that brought over 230 agricultural journalists from 39 countries to London, Scotland and Wales in September 2014. Howard is also an active member of the Farmers Club.

“I believe every one has a right to know where their food is from. The industry knows, why not the consumer? Happerley is a simple and actually rather obvious concept that could and should make the UK food industry the world’s most honest and respected


Toby Howes

Vale & Hills Butcher

"Over 50% of meat catering butchers supply to restaurants and food service will be foreign. Lithuanian or Polish chicken, Australian or South American beef, pork from Denmark, Germany, lamb from New Zealand etc. It gets even more cloudy with processed meats. For example, the Danish pork industry have bought up nearly every processing plant in the UK so their processed pork can be labelled as British.

“The point is this is not necessarily wrong but the consumer has no idea and is generally misled… when do you ever see a menu explaining the meat is foreign?."


Will Carvalho

Performance Chef, Gloucester Rugby

"Our players are athletes and I need to know EXACTLY what we are feeding them. This is nearly impossible without considerable homework and effort on my side. A producer network I can access and a traceablity scheme I can have confidence will be transformational."

Will is working with us to source and support fully traceable meat for The Gloucester Rugby Squad as a pilot scheme. Formally the Head Chef at London's Academy of Medical Science and the Brazilian female football team, he is committed to traceability and provenance.


Jilly Greed

Co-Founder at Ladies in Beef

Jilly is co-founder at Ladies in Beef. The group was formed to help promote and drive awareness of the quality and versatility of British Beef to consumers using a country-wide network of dynamic lady beef 'champions'. All the ladies are British beef farmers and proud if it! 

"Ladies in Beef are pleased to support this initiative. The independent hospitality and fast food sectors are two areas where transparent honest labelling in the supply chain including product origin, could make a huge difference in combating food fraud and misleading consumers. You only have to look back to 'horsegate' two years ago, to see how easily untraceable horse meat from Europe was substituted for beef in cheap ready meals and fast food outlets, with the British consumer none the wiser until DNA tests were performed revealing a shocking scale of food fraud and an extended supply chain where horsemeat was moved around the continent in the pursuit of profit."


James Hanby

Gloucestershire Farmer

James Hanby is a neighbouring farmer of ours supporting Happerley.
 
"I finish some 250 cattle a year into slaughter. I now have to send my cattle across the country to slaughterhouses, chasing best prices to ensure a margin because there is no recognition of local farm and supply. 
 
I do not have time (like most farmers) for farmers' markets or to create my own brand as there is no premium or recognition for supplying through the local supply chain. We are at the point of considering buying our own lorry to mitigate haulage costs.
 
I considered contracting into a retailer scheme but decided against. However, we were approached by Sainsbury’s of late who are starting their own…."


Vanessa and Dan Powell

Cotswold farmers

"If consumers stop just for a minute and see the choice between a Happerley certified leg of lamb, where they KNOW they can check on the whole life story of that meat, from birth to plate, then we believe that consumer might just be a little less tempted to buy anonymous New Zealand."

Vanessa and Dan Powell farm sheep in the Cotswolds. They hope to incorporate Happerley traceability into a farm shop they are planning, so the produce from their farm and others in the vicinity all tells its own story.


Libby Henson

Director, Grassroots

"We support pedigree livestock farmers who need their products to be properly labelled and understood. We at Grassroots work with over 100 pedigree breed societies, enabling farmers to record their animal's parentage and develop their breeding programmes.

Happerley will help those farmers to promote and conserve the special characteristics and produce from their breeds."



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