UK retailer Morrisons has announced an exclusive partnership with Sea Forest and Myton Food Group as part of its efforts to reach net-zero emissions from its directly supplied farms by 2030.
The collaboration will fast-track lower carbon beef products with the partners launching seaweed-based livestock feed to reduce methane emissions, the retailer noted.
Sea Forest will work with Morrisons’ manufacturing arm, Myton Food Group, to supply the methane-abating livestock feed to farms that supply beef for products such as mince, burgers, steaks and joints.
These new, low-carbon beef products are expected to hit the shelves by 2026.
Sophie Throup, technical and sustainability director at Myton Food Group, said, “As British farming's biggest direct customer, we are well placed to support the farmers we work with and help them farm more sustainably. This partnership supports our ambition to have net-zero agriculture emissions by 2030.
“Having our own livestock experts with direct relationships with farmers enables us to make changes quickly, meaning that once our trial is complete and we have approvals in place, we can develop our lower carbon beef products and help support the drive to lower emissions from cattle.”
Sea Forest
Sea Forest has previously collaborated with Australian burger chain Grill’d to introduce a beef burger made from grass-fed black Angus cattle that it claims produces 67% less methane emissions.
The addition of a small percentage of Sea Forest's SeaFeed product to the animals’ diet (approximately 0.5%), reduces methane production without impacting the taste or quality of beef, research showed.
The environmental technology company was also one of the finalists for The Earthshot Prize – an award launched by Prince William in 2020.
Sam Elsom, CEO of Sea Forest, said, “Distributing our methane-busting solution to one of the most respected retailers and food producers in the UK to reduce livestock methane emissions is a tremendous milestone for Sea Forest.
“SeaFeed has the potential to sustainably feed the planet while tackling one of the most challenging pieces of the climate puzzle. Our trials with beef, dairy and wool producers across Australia and New Zealand have demonstrated excellent results and we are delighted to partner with Morrisons to make a meaningful impact on climate change at an international scale.”
This partnership is part of a research programme by Morrisons and Queen’s University Belfast, which focuses on using seaweed to reduce methane production in cattle.
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