The Lakes Free Range Egg Co. (The Lakes) becomes Environmental Champion of the Year. They were awarded the Farmers Weekly Environmental Champion Award from a shortlist nominated by the category judges.

The 20th Anniversary year of the Farmers Weekly Awards was celebrated at The Grosvenor Hotel in London by guests and the industry-leading award shortlisted nominees.

Announcing the winners of the Environmental Champion Award, the judges summarised David and Helen Brass’s success saying, “Environmental delivery has strengthened their business long before it became common parlance in the corridors of Westminster. They’ve embraced tree planting, invested in renewable energy, devised biodiversity action plans and their egg packing station is a testament to their environmental commitment.

“The Brasses pioneered tree planting on poultry ranges to absorb carbon, reduce flooding and promote bird health – which has now become standard industry practice. David is always willing to share his experience and has had a real impact on the poultry sector for the benefit of fellow producers and the wider environment.”

The top five reasons highlighted by Farmers Weekly for selecting David and Helen Brass as Environmental Champions are:

  1. Pioneers in the egg industry for tree planting
  2. Real innovators when it comes to lowering their environmental impact, with lower shed emissions and enhanced biodiversity
  3. Great communicators and influencers, setting an example and sharing knowledge
  4. Visible benefits to the rural landscape at macro and micro level
  5. Passionate about the environment, their business and the whole egg sector, with numerous industry roles and exemplary public engagement

David Brass, Chief Executive Officer at The Lakes said “The Farmers Weekly Environmental Champion Award shortlist was selected from all the category finalists, all of whom are leaders in their sector. This made being shortlisted for this award very special. Being recognised as the Environmental Champion is a great achievement for The Lakes team and we are very proud to receive it.

“In terms of sustainable development, we have reduced our Scope 3 carbon by 35%, but there is still more to do to reduce our Scope 3 GHG emissions further. We have invested £2 million in data technology to improve efficiencies that help lower our emissions, and we have carbon assessments in place for all our producers. Across the board, we are constantly innovating, working as a team on numerous other projects that will further reduce the impact we have on the environment and improve our sustainability. What we do can be replicated across the agricultural industry, so we are delighted to receive this environmental recognition.”

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