Let’s fast forward to 2030, when products that actively tackle climate change and build biodiversity are widely available in grocery stores across Europe and the UK...
Silvo
Food that’s produced together, tastes better
Silvo is on a mission to transform our food system through one of the most delicious foods on the planet: cheese. We make deliciously indulgent dairy and plant-based cheeses that are good for the planet without compromise. Our award-winning cheeses are made with walnuts and cow’s milk produced together symbiotically on silvopasture farms.
Hear one of our farmer's journeys
"In 2018, we began transitioning from conventional grazing on our dairy farm to Managed Intensive Grazing within a silvopasture system. Our farm, in Bretagne, France, has always supported a herd of around 80 cows but we’ve been worried about the climate change impacts of raising livestock and the pressure to meet net-zero emissions. Now, our fields are also lined with walnut trees that are mature and bearing nuts. The trees help our production to be net carbon neutral, provide us with more diverse and stable sources of income, and give the cows shelter.
The up-front investment in tree saplings, machinery, and other equipment was quite expensive, and learning to grow and manage tree crops was totally new for us, so it was a bit of a learning curve at first. We will still need subsidies for a while as we transition to silvopasture and to help to sustain a stable revenue, but the positive impact on the environment is worth it. The 20-year contract we have signed with Silvo allows us to support the land and our livelihood, and to leave a legacy for our children, when they one day take over the farm."
How Silvo was brought to life
Farm
Silvo partnered with a local farming cooperative to provide training to support farmers in the transition to silvopasture systems. Dairy farmers who shifted to silvopasture systems received extra government funding, which helped them purchase the walnut trees.
Policies
A new ecosystem service payment scheme was introduced by the regional government to compensate farmers for their carbon sequestration. Cheeses are stamped with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) linked to their specific region and the silvopasture practices.
Buying model
Silvo committed to buy every output from supplying silvopasture farms with 20-year flexible contracts.
Product design
A multi-pack of cheeses made from ingredients produced together in a silvopasture system, and packaged and sold together.
Other products from 2030
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To quote the study, please use the following reference: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The big food redesign: Regenerating nature with the circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. (2021).
The future products have been co-created in collaboration with the fantastic team at Alpha Food Labs.
