Avara Foods has hailed the progress of its sustainability strategy For Good, which is “tracking ahead” of the 2030 science-based reduction targets it set in 2021.
In its fourth year of reporting its carbon data, the poultry giant said it had cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 23% on its 2019 baseline, with Scope 3 emissions falling by 24%.
Avara has set a 46% absolute reduction goal for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and is targeting a 28% cut in Scope 3 emissions by the same date.
The supplier added it was also ahead on plans to cut food waste by 50% by 2030.
Progress had been made via a combination of actions, including a 40% cut in plastic use since 2019 and “significant” cuts of 25% and 15% respectively across energy and water consumption.
Avara has also made year-on-year reductions in its use of soya in feed, with its Our Planet sustainability report revealing it is currently trialling a 50% reduction in soy diets across its feed operation.
The business has now completed farm carbon footprints across 60% of its chicken farming base.
Avara also stressed it had made a 32.7% reduction in phosphorous usage in its feed composition since 2016, as part of a responsible manure management programme it said would help reduce levels in areas such as the River Wye catchment on the England/Wales border.
The processor has been one of many food suppliers accused of contributing to pollution in the river, and published a roadmap in January outlining how it planned to end phosphate pollution by 2025.
“As a business feeding millions of people every week, Avara recognises its footprint stretches across the food supply chain, and from the outset, its focus has been on accurately measuring this impact and pursuing a comprehensive science-based approach to make actual reductions,” the supplier said.
“We remain ahead of our 2030 science-based target by focusing on reductions in emissions and energy use, together with packaging innovation,” added Andrew Brodie, people & sustainability director at Avara.
“We are also at the forefront of developing higher quality data at a product level, and have established an improved 2022 farm carbon footprint, as part of our ongoing commitment to decarbonise and hit our 2040 net zero commitment across our Scope 3 emissions.”
Avara Foods CEO Andy Dawkins added: “Despite a year of challenging business conditions, we have continued to take positive steps forward across our environmental agenda, and it’s encouraging to see the progress we’ve made, and our position at the forefront of the sector in carbon footprinting and GHG reduction.”
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