Foyle Food Group releases new ‘Shaping Our Future’ strategy

The document is underpinned by the company’s recent approval of The Science Based Targets (SBTi).

The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with the aim to drive ambitious climate action by setting emission reduction targets.

Terry Acheson CEO says: “Our commitment to sustainability is not new. For many years sustainability has been one of the pillars our business was built on and it is with that in mind we have developed a new policy that focuses on four main pillars of Pasture, Product, Planet & People, which will champion UN Sustainable goals and Science Based Targets.

“We will publicly publish our progress which demonstrates the business commitment to operate in an open and transparent way.”

As one of the largest beef processors in the UK, farming and agricultural are central to the FFG and that is why over 25 years ago they launched the exclusive producers club which aims to promote and share practices with their farmers that product and regenerate the land. It is through this club that the company aims for a reduction in scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture of 14%.

The business has made significant progress in recent years, already achieving a Carbon Emissions reduction of Absolute Scope 1&2 of 14% from 2015 to 2020 and has had its emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from Foyle operations (Scopes 1 & 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to well below 2oc.

Over 9.5 million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK each year, with over 70% of this waste being avoidable.

With that in mind the company has committed to halving its food waste over the next five years and have already made great strides in this area through Foyle Bio where waste is converted into electricity through anaerobic digestion.

To support the company on their journey, the Foyle Food Group have updated the sustainability section of their website with some of their major commitments, as Terry Acheson goes on to explain: “We are about creating a sustainable business for both our employees and customers and one that ensures we give equal priority to reducing our negative impacts on the environments and increasing the positive difference we can make in society.”