BIG business is supporting a new initiative to encourage North Yorkshire farmers to work in a wildlife-friendly way.
The Safe (Safeguarding the Arable Farmed Environment) project has begun on ten Yorkshire farms, and is backed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Banks Cargill Agriculture and supermarket chain Asda.
Each farm adopts a ten-point conservation plan covering everything from hedgerow management to erecting nest boxes, in return for a premium.
Safe hopes to encourage the return of threatened birds such as skylarks, lapwings and tree sparrows and, if successful, could be opened up to more arable producers across the UK.
Richard Burniston, who farms 450 acres at Long Marston, near York and has joined the project, said: "I take a long-term view of our farming.
"I want to still be farming in years to come and want the wildlife to be here as well for us to enjoy."
Chris Brown, Asda's agriculture manager, said: "By having clearly labelled Safe-endorsed products in our stores, Asda customers will be able to make a valuable contribution to wildlife conservation in this country."
Simon Christensen, wheat trading manager for Banks Cargill Agriculture, a leading agri-food business with connections throughout the farm and food industry, said: "As well as offering a value added assurance to all the partners involved, we believe this project will provide a much needed boost to the importance of environmentally friendly farming in today's agri-food industry."
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