Silver Fern Farms – New Zealand’s largest red meat processor, has released its 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and for the first time, it includes Scope 3 on-farm emissions from livestock. These make up 94 percent of the company’s emissions profile.

Silver Fern Farms’ Chief Sustainability & Risk Officer Kate Beddoe says the report is another important step towards the company's goal to be the world’s most trusted nature positive producer.

“Robust emissions reporting and clear science-based commitments to reduce emissions are rapidly becoming a requirement to get on-shelf with many key retailers. Being out in front on this issue positions New Zealand farmers extremely well from a market access, trust, and value perspective.

“We think full transparency on our emissions profile is vital for our social licence to operate and to demonstrate the hard work and efficiency across our value chain to make progress against a full set of Scope 1, 2, and 3 science-based targets.

“Our audit partners, Toitū Envirocare, are crucial to our emissions reporting process and we thank them for their support.” says Kate Beddoe.

Silver Fern Farms’ Scope 3 emissions profile is dominated by indirect on-farm methane emissions derived from enteric fermentation (the methane produced when animals eat grass and turn it into digestible energy) occurring in ruminant livestock (sheep, cattle, and deer).

The Inventory will be published annually.

A priority for the 2023 Inventory will be including on-farm nitrous oxide emissions (from fertiliser and animal urine) into Scope 3 accounting. It is expected this will further increase Silver Fern Farms’ reported emissions (although not materially).

Silver Fern Farms’ emissions are independently audited and verified by Toitū Envirocare, New Zealand’s leading environmental assurance organisation.

View the full report here.