ASDA cuts carbon footprint of beef by over a third

ASDA has become the first British retailer to sell low carbon beef. As part of a ground-breaking programme to measure the carbon footprint of its meat, it has developed a range of beef with a carbon footprint over a third lower than the standard 24 month beef. This is the lowest carbon footprint in the industry.

Working closely with its dedicated British dairy farmers, the ASDA low carbon scheme uses dairy bulls, which would ordinarily be exported or slaughtered, and rears them for between 9-11 months so they can be sold as low carbon beef. Technically classified as a ’by-product’ of milk production, the CO2 emitted by the calf is offset against the existing dairy farming process. What’s more, as ASDA’s low carbon beef is slaughtered at 9-11 months, it emits significantly less CO2 during its lifetime than cattle more typically reared until 14-30 months of age. As it is smaller in size, portions are easier to manage, and it is available at a lower price point than standard beef.

With beef inflation at an all time high[1], this is welcome news to ASDA’s value conscious customers. Low carbon beef is on sale at ASDA stores nationwide.

Pearce Hughes, ASDA’s agriculture development manager, said:

"We’ve been working on this programme for a number of years and are proud to finally see it come into fruition. We wanted to create a low carbon beef that was both accessible to our consumers and viable for our farmers. Should the product prove successful, we could be looking to extend it into our successful ’Respectful’ low carbon range of free range eggs."

ASDA’s 180 dairy bull scheme - which produces the low carbon beef - won ’Best Head Office Initiative’ at the 2009 Supermeat and Fish Awards last week in London.