News

The renewables division of ABP, Olleco, has been shortlisted for a prestigious "Circular" sustainability award for its development of a circular economy model with McDonald’s and Arla Foods in the UK. The awards are an initiative of the World Economic Forum and the Forum of Young Global Leaders and winners will be announced at the Forum's annual meeting in Davos in January 2019. Olleco is one of just six companies shortlisted in one of the competitive enterprise categories. The award nomination is for the transformational “closed loop” circular economy model which Olleco have developed with McDonald’s and Arla Foods. Olleco collects oil and food waste from McDonald’s restaurants and converts it into bio-fuel and renewable energy. The bio-fuel is used in McDonalds’s transport fleet while the renewable energy is used to process milk at Arla's dairy which they then supply to McDonald’s. Environmentally friendly fertiliser produced during the energy generation process is also be used by farmers at the start of the supply chain. Robert Behan, CEO OF ABP’s renewable division Olleco said: “We are delighted to have made the shortlist. This is a strong testament to the hard work of every one of our nearly 1000 strong staff who are dedicated to delivering innovative circular economy solutions. We are also hugely privileged to work with some of the most forward-thinking businesses in the food industry and I would particularly like to thank Arla Foods and McDonald's restaurants for choosing to partner with us as they transform their operations to make food sustainable.” The Circulars Award Programme was created to honour businesses, organisations and individuals which have made an outstanding contribution to the development of a circular economy. To learn more about the concept please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AguyUYZzi8E

Initial results from trials on ABP’s Research and Development Farm have indicated the potential for a 13% carbon reduction through the use of improved genetics in beef animals from the dairy herd. The findings were announced to an influential international delegation of sustainability practitioners from the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), and are part of a multi-year project carried out on the farm by ABP in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and Teagasc. The announcement has been made to coincide with the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, which took place in Ireland this week. ABP hosted a high-powered international delegation to its Research & Development farm. The GRSB is made up of some of the leading figures in the beef industry, 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 included delegates from Europe, North America, South America and Africa. NGO’s were represented by delegates from the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Commenting on the findings, Dean Holroyd, ABP’s Technical and Sustainability Director said: “This exciting 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.” ABP is recognised as an industry leader when it comes to sustainable practices and environmental initiatives. In 2017, ABP became the first company to be awarded quadruple accreditation from the Carbon Trust in recognition of the progress it is making in reducing its environmental impact. The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s leading independent certification of an organisation’s impact on the environment, verifying action on energy use, CO2 emissions, water use and waste output. It recognises continuous excellence and year on year improvements in the area of environmental performance. The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Sustainability is a multi-stakeholder platform focused on beef sustainability across the European region ad across all aspects of the value chain, from farm to fork.

ABP has become a Corporate Champion of Cash for Kids in Northern Ireland. Cash for Kids is celebrating its 10th birthday this year. ABP has committed to raising a minimum of £10,000 in support of the charity’s mission to help local disadvantaged children all over Northern Ireland. ABP intends to raise funds for Cash for Kids through its Summer Steak Barbecue later this month for its farmer-suppliers.

ABP Food Group has announced that it has converted to green electricity at all of its UK beef and lamb processing sites. The energy sourcing has been underpinned by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets’ Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin scheme.  The move is an important part of ABP’s strategy to reduce its carbon footprint under its 2020 sustainability commitments and complements its existing programme of generating its own renewable energy at its renewables division, Olleco, and at its Ellesmere site.  ABP’s UK business now produces more renewable power than it consumes. Commenting on the latest development, Dean Holroyd, Group Technical and Sustainability Director said, “Today’s announcement significantly accelerates us reaching our 2020 carbon reduction targets by the end of the year - two years ahead of schedule. Renewable energy generated from both external and internal sources has formed an important part of our carbon reduction model. The result has been a net positive solution to electricity where we now generate more renewable power than is required for our electricity consumption. It also means that we will have reduced our carbon consumption by almost a third since 2008.” Olleco collects food waste and used cooking oil from the retail and food services sector and converts them into green energy in the form of bio diesel, bio gas and bio fertiliser. It was awarded sustainable supplier of the year at McDonald’s annual conference in 2017. ABP Ellesmere was the first externally verified Carbon Neutral processing facility in the world in 2015. The site generates all of its own heating and hot water needs from bio-fuel produced as a by-product of the beef processing operations which take place on site. ABP is recognised as an industry leader when it comes to sustainable practices and environmental initiatives. The company recently achieved quadruple accreditation from the Carbon Trust in recognition of the progress it is making in reducing its environmental impact. The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s leading independent certification of an organisation’s impact on the environment, verifying action on energy use, CO2 emissions, water use and waste output. It recognises continuous excellence and year on year improvements in the area of environmental performance. ABP Food Group was also awarded triple accreditation by the Carbon Trust for three consecutive years between 2015 and 2017, becoming the first food processor in the world to do so. This achievement was driven by ABP Food Group’s ‘Doing More with Less’ sustainability strategy, which has a number of ambitious targets to be achieved by 2020 with a view to reducing the company’s environmental footprint.

ABP presented 16 teenagers from Northern Ireland with their very own calves at the Balmoral Show recently. They will now rear their Aberdeen Angus cross calves as part of the final stage of a province-wide agri-food skills competition for young people, known as ‘the ABP Angus Youth Challenge’.  The winners are 14-16 years olds from Belfast Royal Academy; Enniskillen Royal Grammar; Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt and St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena. They were presented with their calves by Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan, at a special prize-giving ceremony compered by the TV Presenter Paul Clark at the 150th Balmoral Show. The teenagers will now go on to take part in a skills development programme from farm to fork with ABP. Each team will rear five Aberdeen Angus cross calves through to finishing and then sell their Angus cattle to ABP. The net profit after sale will be shared amongst their group. Each team has been assigned a special project to develop over the next 18 months. Their projects will challenge them to explore innovative and forward-looking techniques and proposals for the future benefit of meat production in Northern Ireland. Congratulating the finalists George Mullan said: “I wish our four finalist teams well during this exciting stage of the competition. We look forward to engaging with even more young people when we go back out for new entries later in the year.” Belfast Royal Academy’s team are all urban dwellers. They will be rearing their calves on the farm of the school’s Biology teacher. Their project theme is the Challenges of Farm Finance. Enniskillen Royal Grammar’s team are being supported by the Home Economics teacher. Their project theme is how Angus cattle production can enhance the sustainability of farming in Co. Fermanagh. The finalists representing Rainey Endowed School have been given the Benefits of Benchmarking and the Contribution of Women to Farm Management as their project. The team are members of Rainey Endowed School’s Agricultural Club and all come from farming families. St Louis Grammar finalists also have farming backgrounds. They will be working on the concept of Family Farms as a Driver of Sustainable Agriculture. The school’s Geography teacher is supporting them through the ABP Angus Youth Challenge. The teams’ performance across all aspects of the final stage will be continually assessed to determine the overall winning group and the recipient of a £1,000 cash prize for their school. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is organised in partnership with the Northern Irish Angus Producers Group.

Macra na Feirme and ABP Food Group have begun their search for tomorrow’s community leaders. Applications are now open for the 2018 Macra na Feirme/ABP Leaders of the Year Awards. The Leaders of the Year programme aims to recognise Macra na Feirme members who have demonstrated excellent leadership qualities within Macra na Feirme and the wider community. The competition raises the level and standard of leadership in Macra and provides and incentive for the development of club programmes. Speaking at the launch of the awards Macra na Feirme National President James Healy said, “The Leaders of the Year Awards are a very significant part of the Macra na Feirme calendar and I would like to thank ABP for their continued support of these awards. Macra na Feirme prides itself on its development of tomorrow’s leaders, and these awards play a major part in giving our members who excel, the recognition and encouragement they deserve.” Martin Kane Managing Director of ABP’s Irish operations said, “We are delighted to support the Macra na Feirme Leaders of the Year Awards.  As a business which is focused on helping to develop young people with an interest in agriculture and the wider food  sector it is an appropriate fit for us.  We firmly believe in the need to nurture and encourage the next generation of talented young leaders, as well as recognising their achievements .” Launching the Leaders of the Year Awards, Minister Richard Bruton said, “Employers across the country consistently need leadership skills within their workforce.  I am delighted to launch the Macra na Feirme ABP Leaders of the Year programme to encourage the next generation of leaders within Macra na Feirme.  The organisation has a proud tradition of leadership development in rural Ireland, and I am delighted that Skillnet Ireland, through my own department, are supporting Macra na Feirme’s Macra Agricultural Skillnet in delivering Leadership training and coaching to the agri-sector.” Members of Macra na Feirme can apply online now for the awards by visiting www.macra.ie/LeadersoftheYear. Applicants will be invited for interview in June/July and the results of the Leaders of the Year programme will be announced at Macra na Feirme County Officer Training in September.

ABP part of world-leading pact to tackle plastic pollution ABP has announced its inclusion as a founding member of the UK Plastics Pact announcement, an initiative launched by sustainability experts WRAP. This is a unique collaboration which brings together businesses from across the entire plastics value chain with the UK Government and NGOs to tackle the scourge of plastic waste. All of the company’s beef and lamb processing sites across the UK will be involved in the initiative. ABP is one of 42 businesses, including major food, drink and non-food brands, manufacturers and retailers right through to plastic re-processors and packaging suppliers to have made a commitment to the Pact. This powerful collective has committed to hit a series of ambitious targets by 2025: Eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (re-use) delivery models. 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable 70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled or composted 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging Dean Holroyd, Group Technical and Sustainability Director, ABP Food Group said: “At ABP we are committed to doing all possible to minimise the impact of plastic on the environment. We see this as a great challenge and a huge opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded businesses to make a real and tangible difference in the fight against plastic at our sites and across the wider supply chain without compromising on quality, shelf life or food safety.” WRAP CEO, Marcus Gover, said: “Together, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink and reshape the future of plastic so that we retain its value, and curtail the damage plastic waste wreaks on our planet. This requires a wholescale transformation of the plastics system and can only be achieved by bringing together all links in the chain under a shared commitment to act. That is what makes the UK Plastics Pact unique.  It unites every body, business and organisation with a will to act on plastic pollution. We will never have a better time to act, and together we can.” The immediate focus for UK Plastics Pact will be on identifying the priority projects that will deliver greatest impacts in the short and long term, such as overcoming barriers to increasing the amount of recycled content used in new packaging, developing reusable packaging and working with partners to overcome the issue of un-recyclable black plastic. ABP Food Group is recognised as an industry leader when it comes to sustainable practices and environmental initiatives. The company recently achieved quadruple accreditation from the Carbon Trust in recognition of the progress it is making in reducing its environmental impact. The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s leading independent certification of an organisation’s impact on the environment, verifying action on energy use, CO2 emissions, water use and waste output. It recognises continuous excellence and year on year improvements in the area of environmental performance

The finalists of a province-wide agri-food skills competition for young people have been announced. The teams going through to the final stage of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge are Belfast Royal Academy; Enniskillen Royal Grammar; Rainey Endowed School Magherafelt and St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena. They will now go on to receive five Angus cross calves per group at a prize-giving ceremony on 18th May at Balmoral Show. They will take part in a programme with ABP that will see them developing skills and knowledge across the beef supply chain from farm to fork. This will culminate in the sale of each team’s Angus cattle to ABP with the net profit shared out amongst their group. Congratulating the finalists at their training day in ABP Newry, Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan said, “It was clear from the judging of the semi-finalists by an independent panel of industry experts, the standard was very high. So, we decided to take four teams forward to the next stage. We are looking forward to working with these enthusiast young people who are already demonstrating a strong interest in the agri-food sector. I would like to wish them every success for the next stage.” Each team has now been assigned a special project to develop over the next 18 months. Their projects will challenge them to explore innovative and forward-looking techniques and proposals for the future benefit of meat production in Northern Ireland. The finalists range from 14-16 years old. Not all live on or come from a farming background. Belfast Royal Academy’s team are all urban dwellers and are interested in careers in the agri-food sector. They will be rearing their calves on the farm of the school’s Biology teacher. Their project theme is the Challenges of Farm Finance. Enniskillen Royal Grammar’s team are being supported by the Home Economics teacher. Their project theme is how Angus cattle production can enhance the sustainability of farming in Co. Fermanagh. The finalists representing Rainey Endowed School have been given the Benefits of Benchmarking and the Contribution of Women to Farm Management as their special project. The team are members of Rainey Endowed School’s Agricultural Club and all come from farming families. St Louis Grammar’s finalists also have farming backgrounds. They will be working on the concept of Family Farms as a Driver of Sustainable Agriculture. The school’s Geography teacher is supporting them on the ABP Angus Youth Challenge. The teams’ performance across all aspects of the final stage will be continually assessed to determine the overall winning group and the recipient of the £1,000 cash prize for their school. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is organised in partnership with the Northern Irish Angus Producers Group. Judging the semi-finalists were industry experts and representatives from leading organisations across the farming and agri-food sectors including CAFRE, the LMC, NIFDA, the UFU and YFCU. Find us on Facebook #ABPAngusYouth.