Beef Producers Stuart and Michelle McCormack with their children at McCormack Farms. Photo: Coles

A WESTERN Australian producer has been awarded a $500,000 grant from supermarket chain Coles, to improve its waste management systems and reduce emissions.

Coles announced this week it will award the grants to eight small and medium sized businesses from across the country to implement plans to drive sustainability and innovation.

One of the projects funded will be undertaken by McCormack Farms in Western Australia who are set to construct a fully covered cattle feeding facility that will create an in-house composting system to reduce methane, nitrogen, and carbon emissions.

The latest grants bring the total financial support awarded through the Coles Nurture Fund to more than $33 million across 100 businesses since the funding initiative started in 2015.

Coles Group Executive General Manager Fresh Andy Mossop said the latest round of recipients were chosen for their uniqueness and ability to achieve high impact sustainability goals to reduce emissions, enhance animal welfare, and reduce waste.

“We are proud to be able to award more than $3.6 million to eight Aussie small and medium sized businesses as part of the latest round of the Coles Nurture Fund,” Mr Mossop said.

“I am excited to see how this round of funding will help bring to life bright ideas generated by these eight businesses. From carbon neutral bananas, to freezing technology that promises to reduce food waste, this year’s recipients are proof Aussie farmers are leading the charge when it comes to innovation and sustainability.”

Coles Nurture Fund judging panelist Curtis Stone congratulated the eight successful recipients, adding they all displayed an impressive focus on protecting the planet and driving change.

“It is encouraging to see our local Aussie farmers and producers setting benchmarks and leading innovation across many important areas of the industry. With the environment and animal welfare at the heart of what we do at Coles, I’m encouraged to learn more about how our locals are making a difference,” Mr Stone said.

Beef Producer Stuart and Michelle McCormack with their children at McCormack Farms

Other producers to receive grants include:

• Edson Piggery in South Australia will use a grant of $475,000 to build a new freedom Farrowing system for the sow and piglets. The new pens will provide higher animal welfare standards by allowing more space for the sow to move freely within the pen during her period of nursing and lactation.
• Bespoke Foods in Victoria was awarded a grant of $450,000 to install manufacturing and freezing equipment to increase capacity, enhance efficiency, expand product range, improve product quality and reduce food waste. The project will support the continued utlisation of a broad size range of Australian sweet potato which in turn will reduce produce wastage and optimise farming viability.
• Atlas Soils in Queensland will use a $490,000 grant to help fund a new system for packaged food waste separation which diverts food and packaged waste from landfill as well as build a range of high-quality soil products.
• Bartle Frere Bananas in Queensland will use $445,000 to invest in new technologies including the ability to calculate real-time greenhouse gas emissions on the family owned and operated farm.
• Esperance Bay Orchards in Tasmania will receive $440,000 to invest in Near Infrared technology that detects the internal quality of organic fruit and limits food waste by reducing rejections.
• Food rescue charity, and Coles partner since 2011, SecondBite, will receive a $500,000 grant to purchase critical equipment for its five warehouses across Australia.

National Farmers Federation CEO Tony Mahar said the producers included in this latest round of the Coles Nurture Fund showcase the exciting innovation which is helping to promote a more sustainable future for Australia’s farm sector.

“With more than $33 million having now been awarded to producers across the country since 2015, the Nurture Fund continues to play an important role in supporting the best of Australian farming and investing in cutting-edge processes and technologies,” Mr Mahar said.

Source: Coles