19% of Carbery supplier landscape is 'nature-rich habitat' - study
19% of the landscape across Carbery Group's supplier farms is dedicated to nature rich habitats, according to a new study.
The West Cork-based food and ingredients producer has undertaken one of the largest biodiversity assessments across an Irish dairy supplier base.
The study, commissioned by Carbery and delivered in partnership with environmental technology company ODOS Tech, examined 980 farms, representing almost 90% of Carbery's milk suppliers.
Biodiversity
As part of the study, over 64,800ha of farmland was mapped which identified 12,583ha of biodiversity-supporting habitats.
This included hedgerows, woodlands, scrub, broadleaf habitats and semi-natural grassland.
According to Carbery, this area of "space for nature" is larger than Dublin City and equivalent to more than 17,800 soccer pitches.
The assessment also identified almost 4,800km of hedgerows across Carbery supplier farms, which is further than the distance from Ireland to Boston.
Carbery
Carbery said the findings provide the company with its "first comprehensive biodiversity baseline across its supplier base".
The findings will be used to inform future biodiversity initiatives and support farmers in maintaining and enhancing habitats across the region.
The project was inspired by Carbery's Farm Zero C programme at Shinagh Estates, where mapping highlighted the extent of nature-rich habitats present on dairy farms.
The research evolved into a scalable technology platform developed by ODOS Tech allowing biodiversity to be measured consistently across hundreds of farms.
Enda Buckley, director of sustainability, Carbery Group said the findings from the project are "encouraging".
"The EU Biodiversity Strategy includes a target of 10% high-diversity landscape features on agricultural land by 2030, and this study found that more than 19% of the landscape across our supplier farms consists of nature-rich habitats.
"Importantly, the study gives us a robust measure of biodiversity across almost 90% of our supplier base and establishes a strong foundation for future biodiversity initiatives," he said.
Jason Hawkins, Carbery Group chief executive, added: "This study highlights something many of us have long recognised: productive dairy farming and nature can thrive together".
