The ERBS (European Roundtable for Sustainable Beef) conference brought together a wide range of European supply chain sustainability managers to better understand and learn of the diversity of the work going on across Europe.
What was apparent is the need to act.
We need to consider how we collaborate better with all in the supply chain and share the costs of that responsibility.
Regulation is undoubtedly driving the agenda, with banks, processors and retailers all striving to work with primary producers to complete a carbon audit, share data (with appropriate permissions) and to demonstrate productivity improvements.
John highlighted how difficult this can be when we don’t see harmonised carbon calculator tools and why we must simplify data collection. Data gaps also remain with limited recognition of the carbon sequestered in soils and where productivity improvements are made.
Baselining pilot
John outlined a five year environmental baselining pilot that will capture carbon stocks on 170 farms.
Organised by AHDB, the pilot promises to give farmers the tools to drive change, forging a fairer and more resilient path towards becoming net zero by 2050. Using a range of carbon calculators it will assess above and below ground carbon stocks to provide their net carbon figure and assess soils and water run off.
Beef and Lamb Roadmap
John outlined the work of the beef and lamb net zero roadmap and its aims to capture the ambition, goals and commitments towards improving the environment sustainability of the English and Welsh beef and lamb sector:
- Provide leadership to achieve continuous progress from farm up to, and including, primary processing.
- Evidence where the sector is now, the ambition for the future and the plan to get there.
- Provide and use evidence to protect and enhance the sector’s reputation both domestically and overseas.
- Ensure improvements on farm are recognised and rewarded, to incentivise further progress.
- Provide a unified sector voice to influence regulation and policy frameworks to ensure that the sector has confidence and trust in the process.
