Pastures Green - Sustaining cows, consumers and carbon storage

Pastures green –sustaining cows, consumers and carbon storage

Food manufacturers face the dual challenge of feeding the world’s growing population with quality nutrition, while also tackling climate change by providing consumers with sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Here, Ann Meaney shares how the Irish cooperative Tirlán is refining generations of grass-fed dairy expertise to ensure its continued longevity.

A grass-based farming system where cows graze outdoors for most of the year is recognised1 as being a more sustainable way of farming, compared to many other models seen globally. Grass-based farming products not only benefit consumers nutritionally, but their production also benefits the environment through reduced energy consumption, compared with indoor feeding systems, while research indicates Irish milk production creates the lowest levels of CO2 emissions in the EU.2 Biodiverse grasslands, which include clover, are proven to reduce emissions from animals and milk from

grass-fed animals benefits from superior compositional properties, including higher values of fat and protein compared to supplemented or total mixed ration (TMR) feeding systems. It also has higher levels of essential nutrients such as beta-carotene, calcium, phosphorous and vitamins B1, B2 and B7.

Local advantage

Ireland’s island location on the western edge of Europe affords it a temperate climate, plenty of rainfall and rich deep soils that are perfect for growing grass.

Farming on these luscious, green pasturelands dates back thousands of years and Tirlán has emerged to build a co-operative of over 6,000 family farms that constitute generations of farmers who nurture nature and care for the land.

Tirlán family farms are committed to a grass-based farming system where cows graze outdoors for most of the year. While we have a natural advantage due to our heritage and location, we understand that it is imperative to not stand still as consumers continue to look for evidence that the food they consume is produced in a sustainable manner. To that end, we have introduced Living Proof, Tirlán’s commitment to farming, food and the future. It is our sustainability promise for a better way and a better world for generations to come.

As part of Living Proof, Tirlán has committed to support its dairy farmers to deliver a 30 percent reduction in carbon intensity from milk production by 2030. In addition to carbon reduction, Tirlán has also committed to building and enhancing soil health with 100 percent of milk suppliers having a Nutrient Management Plan and Soil Testing and Fertiliser Programme by 2025. Protecting water quality is also a priority, with 100 percent of milk suppliers in Priority Areas for Action committed to having water quality plans in place by 2025, as well as safeguarding animal health and welfare with every milk supplier being certified to A Greener World animal welfare-approved standards by 2025.

Delivering on our promises

By Ann Meaney

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Evidence of our Living Proof strategy3 is seen via our passionate commitment to tackle climate change through supporting farmers on their sustainability journey. It is evident in the implementation of regenerative agriculture initiatives, through restoring soil health and championing biodiversity. It is seen in our work to safeguard and protect animal welfare, our waterways and air quality. Living Proof involves us working hand in hand with government agencies, non-government organisations (NGOs) and other decision-making organisations to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of family farms for generations to come.

To deliver on these commitments, Tirlán has implemented a significant programme of work under Living Proof. Three key programmes to highlight are our Sustainable Action Payment, Sustainable Farming Academy and Operation Biodiversity.

Tirlán has launched an €18 million annual Sustainability Action Payment as part of a three-year programme to assist our milk suppliers as they continue to enhance the environmental and economic sustainability of their farms. The programme is designed to assist dairy suppliers in reducing their carbon footprint, enhancing water quality and biodiversity and improving air quality and soil health. As part of

Evidence of our Living Proof strategy is seen via our passionate commitment to tackle climate change through supporting farmers on their sustainability journey

The Sustainability Report

AGRICULTURE:

Pastures green –sustaining cows, consumers and carbon storage

By Ann Meaney

this initiative, dairy suppliers will receive 0.5 cents per litre (cpl) (including VAT) through delivering specific sustainability actions. This equated to almost €3,000 in 2022 for the average supplier.

Across the lifetime of this three-year programme, a total of over €54 million will be made available to family farms as they continue to adopt a range of actions. The measures are closely aligned with the climate action measures identified in Teagasc’s emissions reduction Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) climate plan. This initiative is designed to reward milk suppliers for adopting a series of measures identified as key to delivering on our comprehensive sustainability strategy, Living Proof. As part of this initiative, there is a strong framework of measures for farmers to implement with verifiable proof points.

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The Sustainable Farming Academy

Academy is an education initiative that will empower Tirlán’s suppliers of quality milk and grain with the most relevant and up-to-date knowledge to continue to address sustainability challenges. It is also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically focusing on Goal number four –Quality Education. The Sustainable Farming Academy’s newfoodmagazine.com

The Sustainable Farming Academy is a collaboration with Tirlán and its key dairy ingredients customer Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur to support farm families’ positive environmental actions. The Sustainable Farming

There is a strong framework of measures for farmers to implement with verifiable proof points

The Sustainability Report

AGRICULTURE: Pastures green –sustaining cows, consumers and carbon storage

By Ann Meaney

academic partner University College Cork will deliver an accredited and fully-funded Diploma in Environment, Sustainability and Climate to 20 farmer suppliers each year. The diploma is designed to fit in with each farmer’s full-time, on-farm responsibilities.

lands for our people and animals. By working together with farmers to develop sustainable farming practices we can continue to deliver the highest quality products to our global customers in a manner that will support their sustainability goals.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030221005166

2. https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12751

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Tirlán has set an ambitious new target of delivering 450,000 native trees and hedgerow plants to enhance the Irish countryside through the Operation Biodiversity programme. Just last year, the initiative reached its original 100,000 tree and hedgerow target twelve months ahead of schedule. To celebrate, Tirlán donated 10,000 native Irish trees to its farm-family suppliers, customers and community groups. Similar free tree donations are now planned for when each annual target between now and 2025 is met. Tirlán attributes the success of the programme to the enthusiasm and willingness of farm families to work to enhance and protect the land for themselves and the generations to come. Operation Biodiversity has helped enrich our landscape and provide much-needed food and shelter for our native wildlife since its launch in 2020. Every native Irish tree and hedgerow planted builds on the ongoing biodiversity work that farm families are already doing as custodians of the land. As part of our partnership approach, we are pledging to work with our suppliers to build on our initial target of over 100,000 trees and hedging plants to deliver 450,000 trees and hedgerow plants by 2025. This initiative is just one of many actions we are undertaking across our co-operative. We have set out an ambitious series of targets as part of our comprehensive sustainability programme, Living Proof. While our natural environment gives us an advantage in sustainable farming, we are cognisant of the need to continue to do more to ensure the security of our

ABOUT...

Ann Meaney

3. https://www.tirlan.com/sustainability newfoodmagazine.com

Ann has 20 years of experience in the food industry, working with major multinational companies in both marketing and commercial roles. Prior to joining Glanbia in 2019, Ann worked with ARYZTA in several business units globally. Ann is currently the Head of Ingredients Marketing with Tirlán (formally Glanbia Ireland), a role she has held since 2019. Ann holds a degree in International Business with French and German from Dublin City University.

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