Teenagers from 13 schools across the province have taken part in this year’s semi-final of the ABP Youth Challenge, a skills development initiative for teenagers from the agri-food business ABP.
Judging of this year’s semi-final took place online due to Covid 19 restrictions with teams presenting their ideas and displays to camera for a panel of independent judges.
The judges included representatives from leading organisations across the farming, agri-food and education sectors including Queen’s University Belfast; Southern Regional College; the Ulster Farmers Union; the Livestock and Meat Commission; ASDA, Ulster Bank; DAERA; CAFRE, and Business in the Community NI.
The teams that progress to the next stage will take part in an 18-month skills development programme. Under the guidance of ABP and the NI Angus Producer Group the finalists will be rewarded with a hands-on experience of rearing Angus cross calves and profiting from their sale to ABP; whilst gaining employability skills and knowledge of the beef industry. The proceeds of the sale of each team’s calves to ABP will be awarded to each group. One overall winning team will also receive a £1,000 cash prize for their school.
This year’s semi-finalists were from Ballymena Academy; Ballycastle High School; Banbridge Academy; Belfast Royal Academy, Castle Tower Special School Ballymena; Cookstown High School; Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle; Dalriada Ballymoney; Gaelcholáiste Dhoire Dungiven; Magherafelt High School; Omagh Academy; Royal School Armagh; and Saintfield High.
Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan said, “ABP is committed to playing its part in developing the next generation for a sustainable of the local agri-food sector. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge aims to help bridge the gap between school and employment. We are delighted so many schools were able to take part during these challenging times. It is a clear signal of the benefits the competition brings to young people.”
The schools currently engaged in the 2019 – 2021 finalist programme are Aughnacloy College, Fivemiletown College, the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Wallace High School.
The competition is also open to new entrants until 27th November. For details of how to take part visit: www.abpangusyouthchallenge.com
ABP has opened its agri-skills development programme to new entries from 14-16 / Years 11 & 12. The ‘ABP Angus Youth Challenge,’ is an award-winning education partnership that offers a host of opportunities for teenagers to develop skills and knowledge that can help them bridge the gap between school and the world of work.
The competition is open to teams of two to four individuals from schools, clubs, societies or even a group of friends. Entry is by way of a short video which must be submitted by the team on or before noon, 27th November 2020.
Each team that reaches the final stage of the competition, receives a mini-herd of 5 Aberdeen Angus Calves to rear through to finishing. They will be rewarded with the proceeds of the sale of their five calves to ABP.
Alongside this, the teams participate in research assignments that will expand their knowledge and interest in sustainable beef production. They are also given training to enhance their work-life skills such as interview skills and presentation techniques.
“Aspects of the programme will be adapted to meet Covid-19 restrictions at the time whilst ensuring the participants can benefit from the learning experience,” explains Charles Smith, competition organiser and General Manager of the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group. “We are committed to helping develop the work-life skills of young people at a time when they have missed out on so much. With the support of parents and teachers, the competition gives teenagers who are interested in agri-food production a chance to shine.”
One overall winning team will receive £1,000 for their school, club, or society at the end of the finalist programme.
Pupils taking part to date have come both from rural and city schools. “The competition attracts pupils who are studying the GCSE in Agriculture & Land Use or a BTEC in Agriculture. Other participants are interested in enhancing their CV for a variety of jobs and careers that the agri-food sector can offer, from food science; production; veterinary science; finance & business management to logistics and procurement,” continued Charles Smith.
Entrants do not have to live on a farm to take part. ABP and the Angus Producer Group will assist participants in the selection of suitable NI FQA farms. For further details and entry forms visit www.abpangusyouthchallenge.com
ABP NI has been recognised by the responsible business movement, Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITC NI) with two separate accolades. The company has been named a Responsible Business Champion in both the Education Partnership and Environmental Leadership categories. ABP was recognised for its leadership in environmental sustainability within the agri-food sector. The company is also a BITC NI Climate Change Champion. Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan said, “ABP has already adopted a science-based target measuring model to our environmental strategy across our business here and the wider group. We have several projects underway, including a new dairy beef partnership with Dale Farm which is supporting the sustainability of dairy beef production through the reduction of emissions using the very latest in animal genetic research. As a Climate Change Champion, we are supporting BITC NI’s campaign to invite local businesses to sign up to a pledge to cut their GHG emissions ahead of the UK government trajectory to achieving Net Zero by 2050.”
ABP’s skills development programme for teenagers, the ABP Angus Youth Challenge was also highlighted as a solid education partnership that has succeeded in raising the aspirations of young people. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge, launched in 2017, helps teenagers aged between 14-16 years of age to bridge the gap between education and employment. 14 schools are currently competing in the 2020 semi final. George Mullan continued, “we have adapted certain aspects of the competition to the challenges of the pandemic and it will open again for new entries on 5th October.”
Congratulating ABP, Kieran Harding, Managing Director of Business in the Community Northern Ireland said, “there is no doubt that 2020 has been a very different year to the one we expected. However, throughout the pandemic, so far, I am continually heartened by the determination of companies across Northern Ireland to being even more responsible through their activities as they take care of their people, the environment and their communities.”
ABP Northern Ireland is championing a new Business in the Community (BITC) campaign - Business Action on Climate - that challenges organisations in Northern Ireland to address the climate crisis by working to achieve ambitious reduction targets for their greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
A cornerstone of the campaign is the Climate Action Pledge which invites signatories to commit to cut their GHG emissions by 50% or 30% by 2030, ahead of the UK government trajectory to achieving Net Zero by 2050. ABP is part of the campaign steering group of Climate Champions, made up of leading business representatives that support the campaign and have been instrumental in setting and agreeing the terms of the Pledge.
The Campaign puts Northern Ireland businesses at the forefront of action on the climate crisis.
George Mullan, Managing Director, ABP Northern Ireland said, “We are delighted to be collaborating with like- minded businesses across Northern Ireland on this project. It is a natural step for us as we have already adopted a science-based target measuring model to our environmental strategy across our business here and the wider group.
We have a number of projects underway, including a new dairy beef partnership with Dale Farm which is supporting the sustainability of dairy beef production through the reduction of emissions using the very latest in animal genetic research. Response from farmers to date has been excellent.”
“This campaign and the Pledge is a way for our organisation to demonstrate to our communities, stakeholders, customers and staff that we have made a serious commitment to reducing our impacts on the environment. We’re delighted to be working with a team of climate champions and the wider BITC network to inspire others to do the same”.
To support signatories to achieve their targets, Business in the Community will provide a range of guidance and support including: climate literacy training; workshops and advisory support on climate related risks and opportunities; and GHG footprinting and guidance on measuring emissions. Through the campaign, BITC will share best practice examples from organisations in Northern Ireland and beyond and provide opportunities to network and collaborate with organisations in similar and different sectors, as well develop links to local carbon offsetting initiatives.
Kieran Harding, Managing Director, BITC, said: “We’ve had warnings about the very real threat of the climate breakdown for decades, but the COVID-19 crisis has shown that, even in a world stopped in its tracks, our GHG emissions have not decreased enough to meet the Paris Agreement and limit global temperature rise under 1.5°C.
“As we invent a new business norm, bolder, collaborative, and practical action is not only necessary, it’s urgent.
“Addressing climate breakdown and reducing our GHG footprint is integral for business, to enable us to build back better after COVID-19 for the benefit of business, our communities and the economy. Not only that, it’s necessary to ensure a liveable future and to create new opportunities that generate greater prosperity and wellbeing for all.
“There’s no time to waste - now is the time for business to collaborate and take action on the climate crisis, and the responsible business network can help.”
ABP Talking Point’ features former BBC Good Morning Ulster radio presenter, Karen Patterson as she reveals how she is extremely grateful to have been part of a farming family during lockdown. The award-winning journalist and broadcaster reflects on her decision to leave a successful career with the BBC to go back to her farming roots. The features also includes messages and views from well-known figures in Northern Ireland farming circles such as current President of the RUAS and sheep farmer, Billy Martin and Beef farmer Sam Chesney, Chairman of the Ulster Farmer’s Union Beef & Sheep Committee.
ABP and Dale Farm, two of Northern Ireland’s major agri-food businesses, have joined forces to launch an initiative aimed at building a more sustainable market for dairy beef.
‘Horizon’ is the first collaborative scheme of its kind in Northern Ireland and will provide a guaranteed market for selectively bred dairy calves from Dale Farm members through the ABP supply chain. Underpinned by leading genetic research from ABP’s R&D farms across the UK and Ireland, Horizon will seek to respond to the increasing market demand for quality Northern Irish beef, sourced securely, within a shorter supply chain and with a reduced carbon footprint.
ABP and Dale Farm have built Horizon around environmental sustainability, product quality and farm-to-fork traceability, with a support structure provided to all participants to ensure high standards are adhered to. Animals will be bred following strict protocols enabling them to be marketed at 20-21 months, some four months below the UK average. This will ensure a significant reduction of emissions per animal resulting in a more carbon efficient and lower cost of production model overall.
Various options are available to participants on the Horizon scheme. Dale Farm members will have the option to breed part of their herd to selected Aberdeen Angus genetics. These calves will be collected by ABP, with a premium paid for achieving desired genetic traits.
Alternatively, Dale Farm or ABP farmers can opt to become a rearing farm for four-week-old calves. ABP will supply calf rearing inputs and provide support to maximise calf performance during the rearing period in terms of health and nutrition. In return, farmers must adhere to a strict animal welfare and feeding regime. They will receive a management fee per calf plus a bonus for performance targets achieved. The third option focuses on the finishing period. On farm research by ABP has demonstrated that the use of superior genetics can result in production savings of up to £100 per head. Farmers will be supported with expert input and advice to help achieve better growth rates, improved food conversion, enhanced animal welfare, best practice feeding regimes and grassland management. Finishing farms that follow best practice production efficiencies can achieve improved financial returns. Full product traceability will be guaranteed through the support of specialist partners within the scheme. Feed supplier United Feeds will deliver nutritional and technical advice whilst genetics experts from AI Services and Genus ABS will provide guidance and insights to farmers on the scheme. Nick Whelan, Group Chief Executive of Dale Farm commented: “Dale Farm’s core purpose is built around protecting the generational sustainability of our farmers’ businesses. This partnership with ABP will offer our members the opportunity to create a sustainable outlet for dairy bred male calves, in addition to an incremental revenue stream for participants.
“We have created a unique dairy beef scheme, driven by delivering genetic improvement through selective breeding. We have also designed Horizon to provide farmers with flexibility and control so they can continue to use their feed supplier of choice for cattle outside the scheme. Farmers will provide high quality calves into the Northern Ireland beef industry and, through the creation of a fully integrated supply chain, will enhance production efficiencies and reduce carbon footprint at farm level. This marks a significant opportunity for our farmer members and an important development for our business,” Nick Whelan said. George Mullan, Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland added: “Dairy beef now accounts for a significant proportion of beef cattle in Northern Ireland. “Horizon will help create a sustainable future for Northern Irish Aberdeen Angus beef by fulfilling customer and consumer requirements for a product that adheres to stringent animal welfare and traceability standards and has the added competitive advantage of a reduced carbon footprint. We are delighted to partner with Northern Ireland’s leading dairy cooperative, Dale Farm, in launching this initiative,” said George Mullan. Horizon is now open for applications. Farmers seeking more information about their eligibility to participate or any element of the programme can contact Chris Frizzell at Dale Farm or Arthur Callaghan at ABP.
ABP Food Group has been taking part in a ground-breaking research project with assistance from the European Union which is aimed at redesigning the way food is produced, processed, consumed and recycled. ABP was selected to take part in the pan-European food partnership, EIT Food, back in 2017. EIT works as a consortium of over 50 partners from leading businesses, research centres and universities, including Queen’s University, to put Europe at the centre of a global revolution in food innovation and production, and its value to society. Its focus to create a future-proofed and effective food sector that delivers solutions to transform the traditional “produce-use-dispose” supply chain model into a circular bio-economy. As part of EIT, ABP is leading on a project that utilises the safe and effective use of 3D CT Scanning technology at its site in ABP Lurgan . The technology can accurately measure an animal’s composition and key features in 3D in order to advance improvements in the sustainable production, processing & consumption of beef & lamb. ABP is supported by Siemens who are world experts in high technology industry, software & advanced 3D scanning innovations along with Technische Universität München (TUM), a world leading technical institute in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Deep Learning for biomedical diagnosis & robotisation.
Sustainable, healthy food the consumer can trust The three companies are working to expand & adapt hardware & software elements of 3D CT scanning technologies to digitise a key link in the beef and lamb food chain. Exact recording of meat composition, form and structure soon after slaughter can provide data that will help reduce waste, increase quality/value and improve tractability. The system can provide accurate feedback for farmers helping them to rear their cattle more sustainable whilst retailers and consumers can access information on food quality and taste preferences. ABP takes the lead in all aspects of the project including project management, feasibility assessment, cost benefit analysis, new butchery techniques, new meat process designs, hardware design & build, IP protection as well as software performance specifications. Siemens is responsible for assessing the technological options to provide the best solution based on ABP’s requirements & input on system construction & implementation. TUM and Siemens are also designing & implementing advanced AI based software solutions to automatically interrogate the CT scans. These produce key composition outputs at high levels of accuracy and speed.
Data-driven decision making Commenting on the project, Declan McDonnell, ABP Food Group’s R&D Manager said, “Meat tissue has a high degree of variability in its composition. So the digitisation of beef and lamb in the supply chain will improve decision-making at all stages in the chain leading to improved quality and consistency as well as a more environmentally sustainable product”. Benefits of this world-first project include: • Informing breeding genetics to maximise, minimise waste & reduce feed usage • Informing husbandry practices to finish animals earlier with optimum feed regimes and avoidance of unnecessary over-fattening • Enabling the processor to sort and match animal part composition to customer & consumer needs (eg fat content, portion size etc.)
“The digitisation of beef & lamb production is forming the foundation for a connected data flow in a consumer centric food system from farmer, processor to consumer and enabling the industry to produce product with optimum nutritional composition,” continued Declan.
ABP has confirmed that its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This process demonstrates the company’s commitment to aligning its sustainability strategy to the global climate change goals as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The new targets include ghg emissions across ABP’s business operations (scope 1 & 2 emissions) and its supply chain (scope 3 emissions). ABP has committed to reducing its scope 1&2 emissions by 27% by 2030 against a base year of 2016. The company has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions across its operations by 28% since the beginning of its sustainability programme in 2008. ABP is also committed to leading a reduction of 17% in scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions coming from the supply chain by 2030. The SBTi is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The initiative uses the latest available climate science to define best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets against its validation criteria Some of ABP’s best practice initiatives which are already underway include:
Last month, ABP In conjunction with Teagasc and The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation announced results from its dairy beef genetic research programme, demonstrating a significant shift in carbon reductions in dairy beef. The findings have proven that is possible to reduce emissions by up to 28% in the dairy beef herd.
ABP opened the world’s first certified carbon neutral abattoir in Ellesmere in 2015, where waste from the meat processing operation is used in conjunction with used cooking oil to provide the energy requirements for the site. ABP’s renewables division, Olleco, has helped Arla’s milk processing facility in Aylesbury to become the first carbon net zero milk processing facility in the world. Olleco’s anaerobic digestion plant in Aylesbury is located adjacent to the milk processing site where it converts waste from the dairy into heat, power and bio-methane for export to the national grid, and bio-fertiliser for farmers. The facility produces enough sustainable energy to power the equivalent of 12,000 homes.
The company has introduced heat recovery programmes at a number of processing sites including ABP Cahir, ABP Wessex and C&D Esbjerg. These sites have harnessed waste heat from a number of processes and used it to significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption. Commenting on the announcement, Martin Kane, Managing Director of ABP Ireland said: “We are delighted to have our targets validated by the SBTi. The validation of our targets clearly maps the carbon reduction journey required by ABP so that we can play our part in helping reduce global emissions. We have already made great progress since the introduction of our sustainability strategy in 2008 and we look forward to building on that progress and accelerating our work as we now look to 2030 and beyond.”
