Food processor ABP Food Group was joined by BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson to highlight ABP's sustainability initiative during the programme.
Henson explored the details of the 'Programme for the Improvement in Sustainability of Red Meat 2030' (PRISM 2030), which has spent the last 12 months assessing the carbon footprint of 353 farms from across ABP's beef and lamb supplier network.
Henson said: "The carbon footprint of British beef is less than half the global average, but to stay ahead and keep driving change in the industry we need research like this to reach farmers and consumers."
Filming took place at Bromstead Farm, ABP's mixed 380-acre (153 ha) grassland and arable research farm in Staffordshire.
Helping Henson understand the PRISM 2030 data was Professor Jude Capper of Harper Adams University. Capper took figures collated by agriculture carbon calculation system Agrecalc and farm business advice from The Andersons Centre to provide each participant with a detailed feedback report about areas they could improve efficiencies, productivity and - ultimately - profitability.
Opportunities to improve "on every farm"
PRISM’s top carbon reduction tips that cattle and sheep farmers could consider include the following:
- Improving pastures (rotational grazing, soil testing, incorporating different plant species etc.)
- Reducing finishing age (through selective breeding)
- Improving livestock health (to improve fertility and overall health status)
- Reducing fuel consumption (simple things like reducing tyre pressure and turning machines off rather than leaving idling can have a significant impact)
- Use co-product feeds (where co-products are available, they are useful feeds and can lower carbon footprints associated with livestock feed)
Professor Jude Capper said: "This has been an amazing year of data collection and analysis, with so many interesting insights from farms of all types and sizes across the UK.
"There are clear opportunities to improve on every single farm, regardless of the baseline, and these are linked to improving both productivity and profitability."
Speaking to ABP head of CSR Phil Hambling, Henson said: “It’s fascinating to see the results that this work has created, and to understand how partners and farmers within the beef and lamb industry have worked together to achieve them. As a farmer I have certainly leaned a lot, and hopefully with the work you’re doing you’ll be able to build confidence in the consumer."
Capper continued: “Having established the carbon footprint baselines, we’re now analysing the data further to identify what characteristics or practices are associated with the best farms so that those can be shared with the wider group. It’s ultimately very simple for any farm - take a good look at your key performance indicators compared to similar farms, identify where you could improve, and then do it!
“It was a joy to be joined by Adam and the Countryfile team. Sharing our findings with a wider audience is at the very heart of PRISM 2030. I’m pleased to report that before he left Adam and the Countryfile team enjoyed a delicious roast beef lunch kindly prepared by Bromstead Farm Manager Andrew Macleod’s wife, Diane.”
