Tesco launches lower carbon beef range
Tesco Ireland CEO, Geoff Byrne; Twenty20 Beef Club farmer, TJ Kealy; agriculture minister Martin Heydon and Kepak CEO, Brian Tormey launched Tesco's new lower carbon Irish beef range. Picture: Julien Behal
Tesco unveiled a new lower-carbon Irish beef range on Monday, developed in partnership with Kepak.
The Bright Meat Company range has been shown to be up to 23% lower than other equivalent Irish beef meat cuts or finished products. The Bright Meat Company range is supplied through the Twenty20 Beef Club, a producer group of 600 Irish farmers supplying cattle through Kepak’s and Tirlán’s integrated beef supply chain.
Participating farmers are supported to adopt more sustainable farming practices that help reduce environmental impact while maintaining high standards of animal welfare and beef quality.
The new product range was launched by agriculture minister Martin Heydon and Tesco CEO, Geoff Byrne. "We are committed to collaborating with farmers, supply chain partners, and independent experts to support more sustainable food choices as we work towards our ambition to be net zero across the value chain by 2050," said Mr Byrne.
Mr Heydon said the initiative demonstrates how collaboration across farming, processing, and retail underpinned by independent verification can successfully support more sustainable food production. "Promotion of sustainable food can hugely benefit Ireland, as a food producer, into the future," said Mr Heydon.
Kepak chief executive Brian Tormey said independent certification from the Carbon Trust reflects the work being done in Kepak's business and supply chain to build a more sustainable and resilient beef production model. "It is important that we continue to work collaboratively with farmers, customers and industry partners to deliver measurable progress in a practical and commercially sustainable way. We see this as another step in strengthening the long-term competitiveness and credibility of our beef.”
