ABP has unveiled an invest-ment of £1.5 million in a unique sustainability pro-gramme which will support 350 of its farmer suppliers and share wider learnings across the UK beef and sheep sectors.
The new programme, called PRISM 2030, will provide farmers with a support framework initially over 2-3 years.
The aim of the programme is to help participants to improve their carbon footprint and sustainability across the entirety of the farm.
The detailed programme will include assessment of carbon foot-print, soil health, water use and support biodiversity creation and resource efficiency.
Support from Harper Adams University and The Andersons Centre will ensure that farmers have direct and ongoing access to, and feedback from, the very latest environmental innovations and methodologies.
A sustainability grant will also be available, alongside peer-to-peer learning and expert advice throughout.
Dean Holroyd, Group Technical and Sustainability Director for ABP, said: “British red meat production is amongst the most sustainable in the world, but we can and must do more because as an industry we are well placed to be part of the climate solution.
“So we want to build on this position of strength, and while PRISM will mean direct support for those in our supply base who qualify for the programme, all of the outcomes will be made available to the wider industry.
“In this way, it’s our hope that this initiative will play a part in helping beef and sheep farmers across the country become the global leaders in sustainable meat production – with lower emissions, lower costs and improved productivity.”
Explaining his decision to take part in PRISM, the Kircubbin-based beef farmer and ABP supplier Sam Chesney said: “We have a duty as farmers to help dispel some of the myths about how beef is produced here in the UK. Farmers are a major part of the solution, as potential carbon mitigators, and the PRISM process will enable us to demonstrate and measure that potential.
“The green lands of the UK are second to none when it comes to supporting high animal welfare, boosting biodiversity and producing low carbon beef, but British beef and lamb is too often broad-brushed with the rest of the world.
“Here at Cool Brae Farm, we are already engaging in carbon audits and although the results are very good, they don’t currently take into account our grasslands or hedges. We hope through this process we can demonstrate that with all measurements considered we are well on our way to being a net zero operation.”
The County Down sheep farmer Crosby Cleland is also participating in the programme. He said: “I’ve found throughout my farming career that to be able to compare with others gives me a drive to make positive changes that will help
both financially and in regards to climate.
“Gathering data is extremely important and is a key component of the PRISM project – we all need to know where we are performing well and badly, so we can identify improvements that can be made and drive the industry forward. Only then can we turn the target on farming’s back and send a clear message why exactly UK farming is ahead of the world when it comes to animal welfare, quality assurance and climate mitigation. We are constantly progressing, and this work will capture some of these efforts.”
The collaboration with Andersons is led by partner and Senior Research Consultant Michael Haverty, who, with his team, will focus on carbon assessments as well as other sustainability benchmarking.
Professor Jude Capper leads the input from Harper Adams, and will be indicating what areas each producer could be focusing on over the duration of the project to achieve most gains.
n ABP in Northern Ireland is a leading beef and lamb processor with sites in Newry and Lurgan as well as Dungannon (Linden Foods) and Kettyle Irish Foods, Fermanagh. ABP in Northern Ireland is part of ABP UK. Visit abpuk.com
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