The Birds Eye frozen food brand in the United Kingdom has launched a campaign to highlight the link between biodiversity and the food chain, as it showcases its efforts to protect biodiversity through its sustainable farming processes. Buzz for the Peas For Bees drive is being generated across television, digital, PR and in-store platforms, as shoppers are educated about the importance of sourcing food sustainably and biodiversity.
As part of the campaign, Birds Eye is running an on-pack promotion spanning the brand’s Garden Peas and Petits Pois vegetable offerings. Through June 10, customers making purchases at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons, Co-op and Waitrose retail stores will have the chance to win one of 20,000 wildflower seed boxes by simply taking a photo of the front of the pack and uploading it to a dedicated microsite (www.birdseyeseedbox.co.uk)to instantly discover if they are winners.
With estimates indicating the global population will reach almost 10 billion by 2050, food producers face a challenge in how to source ingredients sustainably to feed the growing number of people, without damaging or destroying biological diversity.
Biodiversity loss currently stands at an estimated global level of 100 to 1,000 times higher than the naturally occurring background extinction rate. Research suggests that agriculture is currently responsible for 60% of global biodiversity loss and 82% of the population believe companies have a moral obligation to protect it.
“Shoppers are increasingly looking for brands that make a positive impact on the planet, and we are committed to playing our part in helping solve the biodiversity crisis. In fact, it’s embedded in our resolution to serve the world with better food,” said James Hopwood, head of agriculture operations at Feltham, England-headquartered Birds Eye. “We are dedicated to providing quality food to consumers and the impact of our production on the planet is part of this quality standard.”
The Nomad Foods brand has already made significant progress in its commitments to sustainable agricultural farming, from practicing sustainable agriculture techniques to nurturing long-term relationships with local farmers to encourage sharing of expertise and values. In 2020, Birds Eye’s pea farm management group became the first such group in the UK, and the first globally in frozen food, to be awarded Gold level status (the highest level possible)in the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment.
“Through the Peas For Bees campaign, beyond highlighting what we are doing as a company to actively replenish biodiversity, we want to highlight to shoppers the importance of it for their futures, and the future of the planet, and what they can do themselves to safeguard our food chain,” said Hopwood. “We want to inspire our customers to protect biodiversity through growing wildflowers, which in turn provide habitats for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. With 20,000 wildflower boxes up for grabs, the on-pack promotion takes our commitment to supporting biodiversity that one step further, moving beyond our pea fields and into the nation’s own green spaces.”
To symbolize the launch of the campaign, Birds Eye has also donated land within one of its active pea fields and planted a 25-meter-wide butterfly heaven at one of its pea farms in North Yorkshire. Once blossomed, the native wildflowers will encourage a wide range of pollinating insects and other wildlife to thrive in the area. The bloomed butterfly also kicks off the brand’s pledge to plant 75 acres of wildflowers across the UK in the next three years, in celebration of the 75 years that Birds Eye has been growing peas in North Yorkshire.
