Sustainability

The ERBS is a multi-stakeholder organisation focused on European beef sustainability from farm to fork. The ERBS unites and coordinates sustainability programmes around a common agenda to deliver measurable and positive impact within the beef value chain. The ERBS is aligned to the principles of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) and other major international bodies. It has a membership of over 24 major processor, retailer, food service and allied industry members across the European Region. The ERBS currently has six aligned platforms operating in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland and UK. LMC is a Board member of ERBS. Recognising that Europe has diverse production systems and climates the ERBS welcomes and supports stakeholders to develop their own approach in a locally relevant way.

The ERBS aim goes beyond compliance to demonstrate continuous improvement and work towards measurable sustainability outcomes.

To achieve this, ERBS consulted and agreed on four action areas that focus on eight outcome targets to align all Platforms within European countries.

Action Area 1: Environment

• An intensity reduction of 15% in GHG farm emissions by 2025 from a 2015 baseline.

Action Area 2: Animal Medicines

• Total usage of antibiotics below 10mg/PCU by 2023.
• Reductions of 50% in the use of HP-CIAs by 2023 from a 2016 baseline.

Action Area 3: Animal Health and Welfare

• Target mortality rates are below 1.5% (for systems with mortality rates above this target, a year-on-year reduction of 20% should be achieved from a 2019 baseline).
• All animals have access to loose housing (when housed) by 2030.
• All animals are given pain relief (analgesics) for all surgical procedures and for all forms of castration, dehorning and disbudding.

Action Area 4: Farm Management

• A reduction in serious accidents on farm and a reduction in fatalities with an overall target of zero.
• Financially viable farms that have a business plan in place.

Find out more here: European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability — SAI Platform

The UK Cattle Sustainability Platform (UKCSP) was formed in 2019 to provide businesses which are involved in the UK beef supply with a platform to collaborate and share information to support and measure the positive actions and progress towards achieving sustainable beef. LMC is an active member of UKCSP.

The UKCSP will aim to deliver against the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS) targets.

• By aligning with and reporting to ERBS
• By collating agreed data from UKCSP members for submission to ERBS against their defined goals
• Define other agreed targets of sustainability where necessary
• Facilitate collaborations between members on projects that drive progress towards sustainable beef
• Engage with wider stakeholders to drive change
• Maintain a membership process that recruits members from a range of constituencies via agreement and signatory to the UKCSP Charter
• Communicate progress

Find out more here: UK Cattle Sustainability Platform | British Meat (sustainablebritishmeat.org)

The Northern Ireland Greenhouse Gas Implementation Partnership (GHGIP) set out a framework of actions in two 5-year plans to help the agriculture sector reduce its environmental impact. The first plan – Efficient Farming Cuts Greenhouse Gases Strategy and Action Plan – ran from 2011-2015 and focused on raising awareness of how efficient farming improves business performance and reduces GHG emissions per unit of production. In the updated plan – Efficient Farming Cuts Greenhouse Gases Implementation Plan 2016-20 – the focus shifted to implementation and increasing the wider-scale adoption of more efficient farming practices across farms in NI. The Partnership has 4 sub-groups comprising red meat (Chaired by LMC), dairy, arable and carbon sequestration and has initiated discussions on the next five years of the plan in the context of new policy and support frameworks for agriculture and climate change in Northern Ireland.

Find out more here: Tackling greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk)