Year-end results for 2025 show that PRISM farms are outperforming industry averages: Beef: 26.7kg CO₂e/kg dwt (below Agrecalc benchmark) and Lamb: 23.47kg CO₂e/kg dwt (below benchmark). This success is reflected in two of ABP’s PRISM farmers in Northern Ireland being recognised with sustainable farming awards including 2025 Farming Life ‘Farmer of the Year’ for William Wilson and 2025 Sustainable Initiative Award for Dale Orr. The programme has now also been shortlisted for the 2026 Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association’s Sustainable Supply Chain Award, sponsored by DAERA.

What ABP did

More than 300 farmer suppliers across the UK are involved in PRISM 2030 – including over 50 Northern Ireland beef and sheep farmers. Each farm has undergone a detailed carbon footprint assessment using the Agrecalc tool, followed by tailored recommendations from The Andersons Centre and Professor Jude Capper of Harper Adams University.

All participating farmers in Northern Ireland have made improvements from rotational grazing and multi-species swards to cutting fertiliser use and improving soil health as well as investment in renewable energy and more efficient housing.

All have also achieved a reduction in the age of finishing which is also in line with DAERA’s beef carbon reduction scheme.

NI PRISM farmer, William Wilson, has been making impactful contributions to biodiversity and natural capital restoration through a long-term commitment to tree planting. In 2025 he planted an additional 400 trees, bringing his total to 1,500 trees across the farm. These trees serve multiple purposes, providing shelter for livestock, creating habitats for birds, insects, and small mammals, and playing a vital role in carbon sequestration. By capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, the trees help offset emissions from livestock and machinery, contributing to a lower carbon footprint for the farm. This is particularly important in dairy and beef systems, where methane emissions are a known challenge. William is also tackling this through improved breeding programmes. Utilising the dairy-beef animals, William produces beef with a lower carbon footprint than suckler bred animals.

His rotational grazing system is carefully managed to protect and maintain soil health, allowing pastures to recover, supporting both productivity and ecological balance. William’s practices extend the grazing season, which reduces the need for housing and supplementary feed, lowers emissions and supports animal health. He also embraces multi-species swards, with 10-acres dedicated to diverse pasture mixes that include herbs, legumes, and grasses, with white clover incorporated across all grassland. These swards improve soil health, increase resilience to drought, and provide high-quality forage for livestock. The deep-rooted species in the mix help aerate the soil and improve drainage, while also offering natural anthelmintic properties that reduce the need for anti-microbial treatments. This approach supports both animal performance and environmental sustainability.

In terms of nutrient management, William ensures that all slurry produced on the farm is used on silage ground, and maintaining a 20% clover inclusion rate across the grazing platform, reduces the reliance on synthetic fertilisers. Being acutely aware of the impact silage effluent and slurry can have on waterways and the natural environment, he has adapted practices to reduce the risk of pollution. These include responsible slurry spreading during appropriate weather and ground conditions, to reduce run-off risk and optimise nutrient uptake as well as baling 10% of his total silage crop, reducing pit wastage. All farm plastic is recycled using local plastic collection companies.

William’s farm is equipped with solar panels that produce 14,000 kWh per year, 50% of which is fed back into the national electricity grid. In addition, he has a 1MW wind turbine site on the farm, significantly contributing to local renewable energy generation.

Dale Orr, an organic beef and lamb producer from Co. Down has found success in combining traditional farming values with cutting-edge sustainability measures.

His goal has always been to maximise meat production from grass, reducing reliance on external inputs and improving farm efficiency.

A key component of his strategy is the implementation of multi-species swards, which have transformed soil health, biodiversity, and overall farm productivity. By integrating white and red clover, chicory, and plantain into his pastures, Dale has enhanced drought resilience, improved nutrient availability, and reduced the need for artificial fertilisers.

The Role of ABP PRISM 2030

Through PRISM he has gained access to expert guidance, industry benchmarks, and carbon measurement tools that allow him to track and improve his farm’s sustainability performance.

Dale’s farm tracks Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, ensuring that data-driven decisions guide improvements. His investment in renewable energy, including a 4KW solar system, and his use of low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) have contributed to lowering the carbon footprint of his operation.

One of the most significant benefits Dale has experienced is the financial stability that sustainable farming practices provide. With rising input costs for fertiliser and concentrate feed, his organic approach has insulated him from market volatility. His cattle spend at least 240 days at grass, and outwintering strategies such as ‘Kale and Bales’ have reduced winter feeding costs while maintaining animal performance.

Additionally, PRISM 2030’s focus on data collection and reporting has allowed Dale to align his farm with industry sustainability standards, such as The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the Carbon Disclosure Project. These efforts not only ensure compliance but also position his business as a leader in the future of sustainable beef and lamb production.

As climate action and sustainable food production continue to shape the industry, ABP PRISM 2030’s singular, actionable goal is to improve the sustainability of red meat in the UK by 2030.  ABP intends to achieve this goal by equipping its suppliers with advice and knowledge that can benefit livestock farms and collectively showcase that the UK’s beef and lamb is amongst the best and most sustainable in the world.

Impacts and Outcomes

• ABP Farmer participation: Over 350 farms (518 beef/sheep enterprises) engaged, providing 1.4 million data points for emissions, productivity and sustainability analysis.
• GHG emissions:
  • PRISM beef farms averaged 26.7 kg CO₂e/kg dwt, lamb farms 23.5 kg CO₂e/kg dwt – both below UK Agrecalc benchmarks, showing the value of management-driven change.
  • ABP’s own processing plants achieved 40% reduction in energy-related GHG emissions, alongside 47% less water use, 60% cut in single-use plastics, and zero waste to landfill.
• Knowledge transfer: 64 events with 2,150+ attendees, 23 newsletters with 80,000+ readers, plus farmer case studies, videos, and webinars – ensuring wide dissemination of best practice.
• Policy trial contribution: Participation in DEFRA’s Global Farm Metric trial confirmed the value of common sustainability frameworks, showing 48% of farmers changed their view of their farm’s sustainability post-assessment.

• Best practice grassland management

• • Rotational grazing (adopted by 61% of farms) improves soil health, reduces fertiliser reliance and enhances livestock performance.
  • Use of multi-species swards and clover leys cuts fertiliser use and boosts drought resilience.
• Breeding & genetics
  • Genetic improvements linked to reduced age at slaughter, improved calving/lambing success, and lower lifetime methane emissions.
• Animal health & nutrition
  • Farms implementing robust health plans showed better growth, faster finishing and lower emissions (“triple win” – economic, environmental, social).
  • Use of by-products and co-products (e.g. brewers’ grains, potatoes) reduced feed-related emissions.
• Efficiency measures
  • Incremental improvements in fuel use, tyre pressure management, precision fertiliser application, and nutrient planning consistently reduced costs and emissions.
  • Finishing age shown as a key driver of emissions reduction; efficiencies achieved both indoors and outdoors.

Visit: https://abpuk.com/responsibility/prism-2030/