Society members are encouraged to sign up to be part of a research project looking at livestock breeding strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The project ‘Breeding Better Beef and Sheep’ in which the Society is a collaborative partner, is seeking forward thinking beef and sheep farms to work with to identify the best breeding strategies to achieve Net Zero in agriculture.
The study is aiming to develop livestock breeding strategies, which not only help the UK reach Net Zero targets, but also enhance the genetic merit of UK herds and flocks, improving animal health, welfare and the economic performance of farms.
Case study farms involved in the study will need to participate in two interactive workshops in 2025 and have a cost:benefit analysis done on their herd and/or flock’s performance. Separate workshops will be held in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
To achieve this, participating farmers will need to enter data into the Agrecalc tool to calculate the carbon footprint of their enterprise. A one-off payment of £250 will be made at the end of the project to the participating farms.
Society data and technical services manager Ed Smith says the research project will provide valuable insight into how farmers can best develop their flocks to be more financially and environmentally sustainable.
“Achieving net zero in agriculture will be easier with more data to help inform breeding decisions,” he explains.
Members can register their interest in participating in the project here.
Further information is available on the project here, or any enquiries can be directed towards the contacts below:
England: Katharina.Watson@rau.ac.uk
Wales: hmccalman@hybucig.cymru
Scotland: BMcConachie@qmscotland.co.uk
Northern Ireland: s.mclaughlin@qub.ac.uk