Cocogreen becomes first manufacturer of Quality Coir Substrates to join LEAF Organisation
In a press release, Cocogreen states that the Membership covers the company's and the worlds only fully vertically integrated coir substrate business. "Under the Cocogreen LEAF Membership umbrella is Cocogreen's UK Sales and Marketing office as well as the companies Subsidiaries in Sri Lanka; which incorporates the full supply chain under the direct ownership and control of Cocogreen. The company claims to have 2000ha of Coconut Plantations, 214ha of Coir Raw Material Processing Sites, 2 Screening Facilities, 6 Calcium Nitrate Treatment Sites and the companies 4 Manufacturing Hubs for the final compression and packing of the companies pioneering coir products covering an unrivalled 260,000sq ft combined.
The membership is also the first for any Sri Lankan business, making Cocogreen's subsidiary in Sri Lanka the only LEAF Corporate member in the region.
The move by Cocogreen is the result of extensive background work between Cocogreen, LEAF, some of the companies largest LEAF Marque Growers and agreement with some of the UKs leading Supermarket chains, the objective is to provide the previously missing 'Link between environment and Farming' - and the whole coir substrate supply chain, from start to end to which LEAF has been granted long term access to.
Following a 'Strategic Partnership' Meeting between the Directors of Cocogreen UK and Jeremy Boxall, Director of LEAF Marque, the Cocogreen Corporate Membership forms the first milestone towards greater transparency over Responsible Environmental Practices in the Production and Supply of the UKs most popular Coir Substrate to: Consumers, Retailers, Growers, using the LEAF Marque / Growers as well as the wider industry.
"In recent years, Cocogreen has seen an increase in demand for information from growers about the Environmental Responsible Practices of our Coir Manufacturing Business; particularly regarding assurance about raw material sourcing away from conservation zones amongst other topics. The demand reaches a peak under audits from LEAF, Red Tractor and Retailers, on growers [customers] sites," comments Thomas Ogden, Sales and Marketing Director for Cocogreen UK Ltd.
"Furthermore the quality of information required during auditing has also increased, showing a stricter enforcement of Environmental Policies by Retailers and Growers on their immediate Supply Chain. As growers environmental policies and compliance with LEAF has strengthened and Coir Substrates use gained significantly in popularity, we believe focus is extending further back into the supply chain, past the grower, and namely onto the raw material sources, to which Cocogreen Coir Substrate Products are the market leading Coir Growing Medias in the UK."
"Our long term strategic partnership with LEAF sets out key milestones over the coming years to increase the body of evidence available from Cocogreen to growers, retailers and consumers for auditing purposes, essentially bringing another link further back in the [Coir Substrate] Supply Chain between Environment and Farming; benefiting not just LEAF members but also the wider UK agriculture industry"
For more information v
Cocogreen Group
Thomas Ogden
Sales & Marketing Director
T: +44 (0) 161 242 6852
togden@cocogreen.co.uk
www.cocogreen.co.uk
www.leafuk.org