Dairy producers could be paid more for their milk if they sign up to a scheme demonstrating they farm in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

The new accreditation scheme, announced this week, will give farmers a score based on their environmental performance in terms of sustainability, carbon footprint, recycling,

biodiversity and community involvement.

By highlighting their environmental credentials, farmers and processors signing up to the scheme would have a unique selling point and be able to command higher retail prices, claimed food and energy specialist Greener for Life, which devised the scheme.

The 60 million litre milk co-operative Torridge Vale is the first to sign up to the scheme, and will now carry the Greener for Life branding on its products.

"Although carbon footprinting is good in terms of measuring a cow's carbon 'hoofprint', it does not give you the total answer in terms of sustainability or a financial incentive to cut it," said Torridge Vale chairman Nick Rogers.

The Greener for Life accreditation standard aims to cover the whole supply chain "from field to fork" in order to guarantee measured sustainability in the whole production process.

The company's director, farmer Winston Reed, said his vision was to create an agricultural supply chain that was integrated and environmentally focused.

"The focus is on sustainable energy, fuel and food chains," he said. "We are building an Energy Centre that can provide fuel, energy and food that lives in harmony with nature with the least possible impact on the environment."

Greener for Life already claims to have been offered premiums for the fuel and energy to be produced by its Energy Centre at Tiverton in Devon, which it hopes to be operational by 2009.

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