But all of us involved in this major project feel a real commitment to common aims,' says Jos van Oostrum, development agronomist and liaison manager for Birds Eye. We have selected varied farms growing peas in a six-year rotation where we test and measure 10 sustainability indicators,' says van Oostrum. We have long maintained detailed crop protocols indicating factors such as pesticide use. This highly detailed exercise has the warm endorsement of local farmers. It's a real partnership.
Soil health is the key to sustainability.
Only by having detailed measurements can we solve the existing mysteries in pea farming, spot trends and improve, reduce costs and increase quality. Co-operation is vital for an exercise like this. Farmers are a conservative bunch, but when we have the facts it's easier to change. Healthy wildlife is part of long term sustainability. I'm involved with pea growing at every stage.