An advanced and sustainable manufacturer: the British beet sugar story

Transcription

1 An advanced and sustainable manufacturer: the British beet sugar story APPG on Science in Agriculture Gino De Jaegher, Managing Director Chris Carter, Director of Corporate Affairs 16 May 2012

2 British Sugar: the facts today Leading UK sugar supplier Contributes c 1 billion/year to the UK economy Supports 13,000 jobs Invested 200 million last 5 years to improve efficiency and competitiveness Lowest cost sugar processor in the EU Productivity matches Australia and Brazil and increasing at a faster rate Highly innovative approach to co-products and sustainability A British success story, but.... EU sugar sector is being reformed from 2015 Our position on EU sugar reform: We support responsible deregulation at a pace we can respond to. The current regulatory framework ( CMO ) and quota system should be extended to 2020: Allows us to continue to invest in the industry Avoids the UK being placed at competitive disadvantage Delivers secure food supplies for consumers 2

3 An agricultural success story driven by sustainability A culture of continuous improvement, agricultural efficiency and sustainable crop production Celebrating 100 years of the UK Beet Sugar Industry UK sugar yields increased 60% since 1980s Faster rate of increase than other arable crops Productivity competitive with Australia and Brazil Released 90,000 hectares of land All crop inputs reduced Fertilisers cut by between 40% and 70% Insecticides cut by 90% Sugar beet provides a valuable break crop in the arable rotation Minimal use of irrigation Biodiversity: provides food and shelter for birds and wildlife Relative Yield Increases UK Beet Sugar Industry Sustainability Report

4 Putting science into practice the BBRO Our R&D programme is operated by the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) Managed and co-funded by UK growers and British Sugar Invests 1.8 million/year in new research and technology R&D led by Broom s Barn Research Centre Part of Rothamsted Research Centre Main R&D objectives: Increasing productivity and competitiveness of UK beet sugar industry Promoting sustainable and environmentally responsible practices Research findings are translated into industry improvement targets and communicated to growers via the BBRO Grower Support Programme Wide range of technical and research projects Example R&D project: 4X4 initiative helps growers increase yields by 4%/year for next 4 years to

5 Manufacturing success driven by innovation Record of continuous investment Over 1 billion invested last two decades 200 million invested last 5 years Combined Heat and Power (CHP) at all our plants 80% efficiency Exports 110 MW to grid (medium sized power station) Raw materials transformed into sustainable products no-waste culture Highly innovative approach to co-products Largest tomato glasshouse in Britain UK s first bioethanol plant Substantial animal feed supplier Topsoil, liming products and aggregate reclaimed and sold Speciality chemicals Committed to using our existing assets efficiently. Strong record of investment and performance improvement. 5

6 Transforming raw materials into sustainable products 6

7 Bioethanol UK s first Bioethanol refinery opened at Wissington site in 2007 Produces up to 55,000 tonnes/year of bioethanol 70% GHG savings Impeccable sustainability standards 7

8 Cornerways nursery - tomatoes UK s largest tomato glasshouse at Wissington 18 hectares (45 acres) 140 million tomatoes/year! Model of sustainability Uses surplus CO 2 and heat from factory to promote photosynthesis Natural pollination and pest control Rainwater collected from roof to water plants Supplies leading supermarkets 8

9 Summary We are proud of our UK beet sugar industry which is rapidly becoming competitive with the best global producers. Our closely integrated industry and clear objectives have driven spectacular results Sustainability will remain a prime focus We support progressive reform of the European sugar sector But at a pace we can respond to Not abrupt deregulation in Page9

10 An introduction to British Sugar January 2010 Environment Agency, Peterborough THANK YOU