Initial results from trials on ABP’s research and development farm have indicated the potential for a 13% carbon reduction.
The research suggests that this can be achieved through the use of improved genetics in beef animals from the dairy herd.
These findings were announced to an international delegation of sustainability practitioners from the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB).
The research is part of a multi-year project carried out on-farm by ABP in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and Teagasc.
The GRSB is made up of beef industry personnel, and is a platform to bring these stakeholders together to reinforce a common agenda of establishing and maintaining sustainable practices in the beef sector.
Visitors to the ABP farm in Clonegal, Co. Carlow, included delegates from Europe, North America, South America and Africa.
Commenting on the findings, ABP’s technical and sustainability director, Dean Holroyd, said: “This research has highlighted the significance of better genetics and the overall role it can play in helping to develop a more sustainable dairy-beef production model.
“This project is another important milestone in our carbon reduction journey where we have made very significant progress and have hit our 2020 carbon reduction target two years ahead of schedule,” he concluded.