The country’s main beef processors have committed to accelerating emissions reductions in a new charter adopted by Meat Industry Ireland (MII). The Charter for Sustainable Irish Beef requires Ireland’s main beef processors to decarbonise beef production and encourages best practice among their suppliers.
The country’s main beef processors have committed to accelerating emissions reductions in a new charter adopted by Meat Industry Ireland (MII).
The Charter for Sustainable Irish Beef requires Ireland’s main beef processors to decarbonise beef production and encourages best practice among their suppliers.
It also requires them to protect the natural environment and deliver broad-based benefits for society while remaining profitable, maintaining livelihoods and enhancing food security.
The charter has been signed by the beef producing members of MII, which is the Ibec sector association representing primary beef, pork and lamb processing facilities.
Report
This comes alongside a new report from MII that shows Irish beef is making significant sustainability progress, including a drop in emissions and a lower carbon footprint.
The Sustainability Progress Report shows a reduction in absolute emissions in the beef sector of 4% since the publication of the last progress report in February 2023 – which included a roadmap to 2030.
It also outlines a 13% drop in the rolling three-year average beef carbon footprint and the lowering of the average finishing age for prime cattle to 25.8 months, a reduction of 0.6 months.
MII members have invested almost €200m in sustainability initiatives at processing and farm level since 2015.
The report added that the beef sector remains a mainstay in rural communities with 90,000 farm families and 25,000 jobs supported.
Charter launch
The charter was launched on Wednesday by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
“I believe the Charter for Sustainable Irish Beef can play a vital role in complementing these measures and driving meaningful progress on sustainability benefitting farmers, processors, consumers and wider rural communities,” Minister McConalogue said.
MII director Dale Crammond said delivering on the charter will require significant, ongoing efforts by all stakeholders including processors and their suppliers.
“It is also vital that progress is tracked and that is why the charter contains a requirement to report annually and transparently across a range of environmental, social and economic measures.
“In taking these actions, our members can continue to safeguard food security both here in Ireland and in the markets we export to, while supporting farmers on the ground,” he added.
Charter actions
MII outlined the priority actions in the Charter for Sustainable Irish Beef as:
Encouraging the earlier finishing of prime cattle with the aim of delivering on the target of an average slaughter age of 22-23 months by 2030.Working with suppliers to implement methane mitigating breeding strategies for cattle from both beef and dairy herds.Encouraging suppliers to adopt management measures that reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions including reduced chemical nitrogen, a switch to protected urea, low emissions slurry spreading (LESS) and enhanced incorporation of clover and multi-species swards.Supporting the reduction of carbon emissions at individual farm and animal level.Ongoing investment in knowledge transfer initiatives through advisory partnerships, demonstration farms and in-house agriculture teams.A commitment to science-based targets, data capture and measurement systems to allow the beef sector to track and transparently report progress.Playing a more proactive role in renewable energy generation through solar, wind and anaerobic digestion.The ongoing provision of targeted financial supports to assist with the decarbonisation of processing and technology adoption at farm level.
Water quality training and action plans for beef suppliers in priority areas. Wastewater treatment systems that consistently meet or exceed water quality standards.Maintaining space for nature on livestock farms.Increased implementation of breeding practices to boost the quality of calves from the dairy herd for beef production. 
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