Dawn Meats has announced the launch of a new sustainability programme for Irish beef farmers, which is being supported and co-funded by McDonald’s UK and Ireland.
The ACTIVATE initiative involves an investment of €4.4 million over three years and will provide payments to participating farmers for implementing agreed sustainability plans and reducing emissions, Dawn Meats said.
According to the processor, the programme has been created to “accelerate the adoption of cost effective on-farm sustainability practices”, and will involve training for famers (some of which will be online) to support them in reducing emissions.
The value of payments and technical supports participating famers can expect to receive will be between €4,000 and €8,000 a year, depending on factors such as the number of animals per farm, qualifying grades and the level of emissions reduction.
Progress will be assessed annually and members of the programme will be compensated through a “sustainability dividend” for their engagement with the programme and successful delivery of targets.
McDonald’s will co-sponsor the programme, while the initiative will also be supported by Bord Bia, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), and Teagasc.
So far, 50 farmers, who are suppliers of Dawn Meats, have joined the programme and have completed farm sustainability plans. A second phase of recruitment to the scheme is now ongoing, and Dawn said that the target is for up to 200 farmers to have joined the programme in its first year.
The processor said that the initiative aligns with the Irish government’s objective to achieve a 25% absolute reduction in agricultural emissions by 2030.
Under the ACTIVATE programme, participating farmers will be “encouraged to accelerate the adoption of science-based solutions, to mitigate biodiversity loss, enhance soil health, and combat global warming”.
“Farmers will be provided with the tools required to implement sustainability plans including access to an array of resources, from online and practical training to in-person events and knowledge transfer workshops,” Dawn Meats said.
The processor also said that Dawn Meats and Teagasc representatives will share knowledge in sustainable farming practices and the use of online sustainability tools, as well as offering one-on-one support to farmers.
Training modules will be delivered through the online Bord Bia learning platform.
Farm performance data will be monitored and reported through AgNav, a sustainability support platform run by Bord Bia, Teagasc and ICBF; while herd management service Herdwatch will provide farmers with herd management software, and act as a project partner dealing with data collection.
Dawn Meats said it will extend the ACTIVATE programme beyond the initial three-year timeframe with continued support from existing and future ACTIVATE partners. Given the level of broader customer interest it is expected there will be scope to scale up the programme to increase the number of farmers involved.
Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats, commented: “This is a key sustainability initiative for Dawn Meats, and it marks a major step forward in our ongoing efforts to reach our emissions targets.
“We recognise that our future relies upon the health of our natural world and the wellbeing of our communities. Sustainability has been central to our business plan for over 40 years and this is why we are helping farmers to set ambitious targets and incentivising them to achieve verified results,” Brown added.
“By working closely with the farmers that supply us, we will be helping them to farm more sustainably… This is a win-win situation for us, for farmers and for our valued customers, who share our commitment to achieve Net Zero”.
Laura Henderson, vice-president for McDonald’s UK and Ireland supply chain, said: “The programme presents a real opportunity to explore the ways in which we can futureproof the industry and drive more resilient production to ensure our future beef supply contributes to a sustainable food system where people, local communities, animals and the planet can thrive.”