Lidl has become the first supermarket in Ireland to launch a new sustainability support programme for beef farmers with an initial investment of over €200,000 over the next four years.
The Lidl Sustainable Beef Programme has been developed in partnership with its beef supplier Liffey Meats, Bord Bia and more than 20 beef farmers from across Ireland.
They will work together to implement innovative sustainable farming practices in order to reduce carbon emissions associated with beef farming.
Over 20 beef farmers currently supplying to Lidl Ireland from counties Cavan, Galway, Longford, Meath, Roscommon, Westmeath and Wexford have already signed up to participate in the programme. That number is expected to double over the coming months.
Participating farmers will benefit from on-farm knowledge sharing sessions where farmers and external industry experts will share and demonstrate best practices in sustainability.
Representing an initial investment of more than €200,000 over four years, Lidl Ireland aims to create greater awareness of the environmental challenges associated with beef farming amongst consumers.
It also wants to share insight on the initiatives undertaken by the participating farmers to make beef more sustainable, with a view to translating the impact of the programme in a clear way for customers buying Lidl's Irish beef products.
The new programme will be measured through AgNav, the farmer-centric sustainability support platform developed by Teagasc, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and Bord Bia.
JP Scally, chief executive of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said that beef is hugely important to Irish agriculture and the recent granting of Protected Geographic Indication status for Irish grass-fed beef is further recognition of the quality of the product.
"However, the industry faces a significant challenge in reducing its environmental footprint and, as a responsible retailer, we know that we have an important role to play in supporting our beef farmers to reduce their environmental impact," he said.
"We appreciate that this issue is very important to our customers as well, and that is why we will be keeping them informed of developments from the Lidl Sustainable Beef Programme as our farmers trial new methods and processes to make Irish beef a more sustainable product," he added.
Francis Mallon, CEO of Liffey Meats, said the new programme demonstrates Lidl's long-term commitment to suppliers, not just commercially, but by helping to improve the overall sustainability of their farms.
"For many Irish beef farmers, navigating the challenges of reducing carbon emissions is complex, with the support of the new AgNav tool and dedicated programme from Lidl Ireland, farmers have access to a practical and attainable solution to continue their journey in responsible beef production," he stated.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said this collaborative effort between Lidl and beef farmers utilising the AgNav platform is indicative of the commitment of partners in our agri-food supply chain to work together to showcase the sustainability credentials of our beef production.
Jim O'Toole, CEO of Bord Bia, said that together with its partners, Teagasc and ICBF, the group wants AgNav to become the primary digital support tool for Irish farms, empowering participating farmers to take the most appropriate actions for their farm and play their part in climate action.
"The adoption of AgNav as a support tool for the Lidl Sustainable Beef Programme is another important step that allows Lidl to demonstrate to consumers the sustainability progress that Irish farmers are making," Mr O'Toole added.
