Having the carbon footprint of raw materials for animal feed is becoming more important, while regulation is forcing the use of more environmentally sustainable products.

Rachel Connor of Barnett Hall spoke on carbon footprints and sustainability at the company’s recent conference.

The quality and ESG manager explained that the company is gathering data on its carbon emissions, including those from diesel and electricity use, as well as emissions from feed imports, which include the product’s carbon emissions and the emissions associated with logistics to get the product to its destination.

“The carbon footprint of raw materials will remain a focus for supermarkets and consumers alike, but there’s a careful balance that needs to be struck here between the desire to reduce the carbon footprint of feed ration versus meeting the nutritional needs of the animal and the security of supply of raw materials for the island,” Rachel explained.

Figures

Putting some figures on carbon footprints, Rachel used soya beans as an example and said that the carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) produced from a crop of soya beans in Argentina is approximately 4,510kg/t and this figure is approximately 4,484kg/t for Brazilian soya beans.

However, the US is much lower at approximately 429kg CO2eq/t.

Rachel commented that about 70% of the carbon dioxide equivalents for the Brazilian and Argentine figures is made up of carbon emissions as a result of deforestation in recent times.

EU rules

Rachel commented that EU directives and regulations are now having a massive influence on feed ration labels.

She explained that the deforestation regulation now means that from 30 December 2024, it will not be possible to put products on the EU market unless they are deforestation-free and are covered by a due diligence statement. This will affect soya beans, hulls and meal in particular.

Imports into the EU cannot be produced on land which has been converted from forestry to agricultural use, legally or illegally, after 31 December 2020.

Rachel explained that Barnett Hall must show where the product comes from and this information must work its way down the supply chain.

The first shipment of Round Table on Responsible Soy Association chain of custody soya meal was received by Barnett Hall into Ireland and the UK in 2021.

You can hear more from Rachel Connor on the Irish Farmers Journal’s Tillage Podcast by clicking here.