Innovative guidelines aimed at supporting Irish farmers in best-in-class lamb production and sustainability practices.
Kepak Group, the leading Irish food company, has become the first Irish meat producer to introduce Lamb Producer Guidelines to support farmers in producing best-in-class Irish lamb in accordance with the highest animal welfare and environmental standards.
Kepak developed the guidelines in association with Ireland’s largest retailer, SuperValu. Both Kepak and SuperValu are committed to sourcing the highest quality produce from Irish farms that adhere to strict animal welfare guidelines and that are dedicated to enhancing sustainability practices on their farms. These factors contribute to high animal and food safety, as well as sustaining and enhancing the quality of Irish lamb for consumers, while protecting the natural environment and biodiversity for years to come.
The guide is also in line with Kepak’s commitment to achieving ambitious sustainability targets and reducing its carbon footprint which were outlined in its recently published Sustainability Report
Commenting at the launch of the Lamb Producer Guidelines, Kepak CEO, Simon Walker said: “We are delighted to partner with SuperValu to publish these innovative Lamb Producer Guidelines, which promote best-in-class lamb production and provide key guidance, advice and recommendations to Irish sheep farmers. Animal welfare and environmental sustainability are a major focus of the guidelines highlighting how we need to consistently meet consumers’ evolving needs and expectations. The guide underlines our dedicated and continued efforts to supply local, high quality lamb to Irish consumers.”
The innovative guidelines act as a link between producers and consumers, providing best in practice advice and guidance to farmers on enhancing the quality of their lamb under a diverse range of key criteria, including breeding and genetics, animal nutrition, health at lambing and transportation. Separately, animal welfare is a key focus of the guidelines, which outline how good animal health and nutrition is imperative in helping to meet evolving high industry and consumer expectations around welfare, food safety and sustainable farming practices linked to enhancing the environment and biodiversity.
SuperValu’s Lamb Producer Guidelines follow the publication of its Beef Producer Guidelines in 2018 which provide best practice production guidance and support to Irish beef farmers in terms of animal welfare, health, breeding and genetics and transportation.
Producers are encouraged to discuss topics raised in the guidance document with their local procurement and agricultural team for further advice for their specific production system. The guidance and advice in the document are intended to be used alongside the Bord Bia Origin Green Programme.