Livestock and Meat Commission NI (LMC) has appointed Frances Titterington as a new senior team member and Head of Sustainability. The Commission says she will play a pivotal role in advancing sustainability initiatives across the beef and sheep sectors.
LMC chief executive, Colin Smith, commented: “With a strong background in agricultural research and a passion for improving the efficiency and environmental impact of farming practices, Frances brings invaluable expertise to LMC, and I am delighted to welcome her to the team.
A commitment to sustainable agriculture
Prior to joining the Commission, Titterington worked extensively in beef and sheep research, focusing on production efficiency and, more recently, on reducing methane emissions from ruminants. In addition, she helped design and develop decision support tools to assist farmers in making informed decisions on their farm management practices. These tools were designed to not only boost production efficiency but also help farmers reduce their environmental footprint.
“I grew up on a farm, so agriculture and the environment have always been at the heart of my interests,” says Frances. “My journey into this field began with a focus on biology, followed by a deeper dive into sustainable and efficient food production, which led me to the beef and sheep sectors.”
As Head of Sustainability, she will be involved in several key projects, including LMC’s operational roll-out of DAERA’s Farm Carbon Footprinting Project designed to establish carbon baselines and inform emissions inventories. This initiative aims to streamline the data gathering process, reducing the time required on farms while ensuring that the carbon data collected is both accurate and reliable.
“I’m particularly excited to work on the carbon project,” she said. “By collaborating with industry stakeholders and farmers, we hope to create a more efficient data collection process that benefits both the environment and the farming community.”
Priorities for the year ahead
Looking ahead to the next 12 months,Titterington has identified key priorities for the department. “The coming year will be a busy one. Our team will be working closely with DAERA and other industry partners to identify data requirements and streamline data flows to make the carbon foot printing process as straightforward as possible. Our main goal is to ensure that completing a carbon footprint is as undemanding as possible for farmers, while maintaining the highest standards of data accuracy and protecting personal information.
“As an organisation we are eager to contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance sustainability and improve efficiency in the livestock sector”.
