About us

Operating Responsibly

Operating Responsibly

We work in an industry that produces food and can impact (positively as well as negatively) on the environment – two emotive areas which mean we are rightly under the spotlight from the public, politicians and the media.

Agrii works with over 20,000 farmers, providing management advice on 1.4mHa of combinable crops, representing some 40% of UK agricultural output.

With this privilege comes significant responsibility – a responsibility we take very seriously. Our agronomists work to help their customers grow profitable crops in a safe and environmentally sensitive way.

Standing up for UK agriculture

Standing Up for UK Agriculture

Agrii recognise the importance of our role representing UK agriculture. As active participants in the AIC, we have a significant input and awareness of policy issues that could affect our business and that of our customers. Through the involvement of Agrii functional experts, we ensure that the AIC and policymakers have a thorough understanding of modern agronomy and arable production and can promote the professionalism of our customers in a pro-active way, where and when it counts. We also work closely with scientific institutions to help them relate to the challenges of the farming community and signpost research needs appropriately.

The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)

The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is the UK trade association for the agricultural supply industry and works to inform and lobby policymakers and promote the benefits of modern commercial agriculture throughout the food-chain.

Agrii is involved in a range of environmental initiatives, to promote safe practice and demonstrate the positive impact that modern, professional farming can have.

Examples include the Voluntary Initiative (VI), Campaign for the Farmed Environment, Catchment Sensitive Farming and The Harper Adams Soil and Water Centre to name a few.

We host around 150 events annually

In addition to this, we host around 150 events annually on our demonstration farms to share best practice and new ideas with our customers and are active participants in the UK’s annual Voluntary Initiative National Register of Sprayer Operators (NROSO) scheme. We have in excess of forty staff trained to deliver NRoSO training on an annual basis and run a comprehensive programme training around 3000 sprayer operators who work on arable, vegetable and fruit farms.

Charities

Charities we have links with

Our employees care about the communities in which they work and this has been a deciding factor in our choice of charity partners. Agrii is currently involved in financial and practical initiatives with:

Addington Fund

“Providing housing for farming families in need”

Set up in response to Foot and Mouth Disease in 2001, The Addington Fund runs a Strategic Rural Housing Scheme which provides housing to farming families who have had to leave the industry, and by doing so, have lost their home.

Similarly, the fund also supports farming families in times of financial hardship as a result of circumstances that are out of their control, through the Trustee’s Discretionary Fund.

RABI

“Supporting farming families in hardship or distress”

Founded in 1860 the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) provides care and support for members of the farming community and their families, in times of hardship or distress by means of grants. Their help extends to those who are retired, exiting the industry and those who are working but are experiencing financial difficulties or crisis.

RABI also provides those in need with welfare and wellbeing advice and assistance, including helping people to help themselves by applying for appropriate pension credits and state benefits.

RHET

“Educating Scottish schoolchildren about food and farming”

The Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET) provides opportunities for school children in Scotland to visit the outdoors and learn about food, farming and the countryside.

In 2010-11 RHET enabled more than 15,000 children to visit a farm or estate and 27,500 children learned about food and farming topics from a volunteer farm speaker in the classroom. Subjects covered include farming, forestry, horticulture, conservation, game-keeping, wildlife crime, birds of prey, pond and burn dipping.

The Country Trust

“Where children learn to grow ”

The Country Trust is a not for profit organisation that works to ensure children for all walks of life are exposed to and understand farming, the countryside and how our food is produced through a series of outdoor learning experiences.

Agrii has supported The Country Trust in Hampshire over a number of years and is proud to support their Teacher & Farmer Conference taking place in October. You can view more details of the conference and how to book here.

Farming Community Network

“Supporting farmers through times of difficulty”

FCN volunteers provide pastoral and practical support for as long as needed – helping people to find a positive way forward through their problems

The Farming Community Network has strong and longstanding relationships with the farming community and agriculture across England and Wales. FCN support farm enterprises and the household with business, family, health and farm issues. All of FCN’s volunteers are associated with and understand farming and the pressures involved.

Community

Work in the community

We are passionate about the farming way of life, but realise that not everyone understands the importance of food production or how it all works. That is why Agrii people are active in talking to the young and old from urban and rural areas about our industry.

Not only are we going into schools and village halls, but we also invite groups to visit our ifarms to learn more about how food is grown. We want to spread the word and even encourage the next generation to work in Agriculture.