Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • Innovation supplement 2024
    • Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. April 2025
    3. March 2025
    4. 2025 Buildings supplement
    5. February 2025
    6. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    7. January 2025
    8. December 2024
    9. November 2024
    10. National Pig Awards supplement
    11. October 2024
    12. September 2024
    13. August 2024
    14. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    15. July 2024
    16. June 2024
    17. Innovation supplement 2024
    18. Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    19. May 2024
    20. April 2024
    21. Buildings Supplement
    22. March 2024
    23. Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    24. February 2024
    25. January 2024
    26. December 2023
    27. November 2023
    28. National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    29. October 2023
    30. September 2023
    31. Health Supplement
    Featured

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
    Recent

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025

    April 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    April 4, 2025

    March 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    March 6, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Environment

UK meat sector making good progress towards climate change goals

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverSeptember 15, 20215 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

The UK meat sector is making good progress towards meeting its climate change targets, according to a report by WRAP.

In June 2020, WRAP launched Meat in a Net Zero world, along with 40 stakeholders across the UK meat production and supply chain, including the NPA, pledging to make the UK meat industry one of the most efficient and sustainable in the world.

Recognising that we won’t fix climate change unless we fix the food system, they committed to actions across four target areas – with the overall aim to reduce meat waste and GHG emissions along the meat supply chain and protect natural assets, such as water and forests. These actions will contribute towards existing national and global targets:

  • Courtauld Commitment 2030 – halve food waste and food system GHG emissions by 2030 and tackle water stress, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
  • NFU – net zero GHG emissions across the whole of UK agriculture by 2040.
  • UK – all GHG emissions to net zero by 2050.

WRAP’s one-year on Annual Progress Summary 2020 – 2021 for Meat in a Net Zero world highlights key progress:

Target Area One – Helping to improve productivity, protect natural assets and reduce GHG emissions when rearing animals, while maintaining world-leading animal welfare standards.

  • 60% of business supporters have set net zero or science-based GHG reduction targets across the whole supply chain, including agricultural (scope 3) emissions.
  • New farm-level metrics agreed for key meat categories (poultry, pig, beef and lamb) to help track progress against above targets – and national-level targets.
  • Retailers and processors have reported a significant and increasing amount of R&D activity being focused in priority areas, such as feed innovations.

Target Area Two – Reducing meat waste, GHG emissions and water impacts in the supply chain.

  • Meat processors reported a collective reduction in food waste of more than 20,000 tonnes – an average 30% reduction.
  • All businesses set a GHG reduction target and reported year-on-year improvements – up to 30% reduction in emissions intensity (scope 1 and 2) over the last year.
  • All processors reported having water efficiency targets and year-on-year improvements –up to 15% reduction in intensity of water use.

Target Area Three – Protecting the world’s forests by sourcing raw materials that avoids deforestation.

  • Efeca (facilitator of the Roundtable on Sustainable Soya) estimate that 32% of soya imported into the UK in 2019 was covered by a deforestation- and conversion- free certified soya standard.
  • Combined, the total proportion of soya imported into the UK in 2019 considered to be from sources at low risk of deforestation/conversion or covered by a deforestation- and conversion- free certified soya standard amounts to 62% (Efeca).

Target Area Four – Helping to halve the amount of meat thrown away in and out of home:

  • Many positive behaviours were adopted by householders during and after national lockdowns (eg pre-shop planning, freezer management, using leftovers), demonstrating that there is scope for positive change, but as restrictions lifted, self-reported food waste appears to be increasing.
  • Businesses have stepped up to help reinforce positive behaviours by strengthening adoption of best practice for on-pack labelling and guidance. For example, all retailers have now removed the term ‘Freeze on Day of Purchase’ from packaging, or are working towards this. WRAP estimates this could help reduce waste by c.15,000 tonnes/year.
  • Businesses widely supported the inaugural Food Waste Action Week.

Taking targeted action

  • Momentum for Meat in a Net Zero world is building, with the need for change widely recognized. To continue its success, the following focus areas have been identified:
  • More robust data are required for decision-making.
  • Existing technologies need to be advanced and new innovations developed. For example, further investment is needed in soya alternatives, such as insect meal, other novel proteins, domestic-grown legumes, etc.
  • Further need to tackle priority behaviours to reduce meat waste occurring at home – such as planning, freezing & defrosting and using leftovers.
  • We also need to better understand ways to tackle meat wastage when eating out of home.
  • Commitment to WRAP initiatives such as the Courtauld Commitment 2030, the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and Guardians of Grub.

Karen Fisher, Head of Climate Action Strategy, WRAP: “Against the backdrop of the unprecedented challenges that the Covid crisis has presented, the industry has taken some important steps forward. The momentum is building, the need for change is widely recognised and this is reflected in the number of new businesses and wider organisations joining this commitment – including more representatives from the hospitality & food service sector and the feed industry, amongst others.”

Food Minister Victoria Prentis said: “I am pleased that so many organisations have joined WRAP to advance the ambitious goal of ensuring that the UK meat industry is one of the most sustainable in the world.

“Our food is amongst the very best globally, and today’s Annual Progress Summary clearly shows meaningful progress to measure and actively reduce industry’s impact on the environment, on all stages of production – from rearing animals to reducing meat waste in our homes.”

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleEU pig slaughter levels stable in June
Next Article Sleepwalking into a perfect storm – MPs launch snap inquiry into impact of trade issues and labour shortages on food supply chain
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

APHA to use genomics to boost disease surveillance in £10m project

May 13, 2025

AHDB and Livetec join forces to stage ASF contingency planning workshops

May 12, 2025

Pig supplies suspended from Lincolnshire farm, after footage published

May 12, 2025
Latest News

APHA to use genomics to boost disease surveillance in £10m project

May 13, 2025

AHDB and Livetec join forces to stage ASF contingency planning workshops

May 12, 2025

Pig supplies suspended from Lincolnshire farm, after footage published

May 12, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1737 Shropshire

    • Shropshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Managing Director

    • Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire
    • United Pig Co-operative (UPC)
  • Experienced Pig Stockperson – Ref 1736 South East England

    • South East England
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.