U.K. supermarket chain Morrisons has partnered with Sea Forest, an Earthshot finalist and science-based environmental technology company, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle.
Sea Forest will work with Myton Food Group, Morrisons’ manufacturing arm, exclusively to supply SeaFeed – its methane abating livestock feed – to help fast track the introduction of lower-carbon beef products such as mince, burgers, steaks and joints in Morrisons. Approval for the process is being worked through, but if successful, customers should see products on the shelf in Morrisons by 2026. The partnership supports Morrisons ambition to achieve net zero agriculture emissions from its directly supplied farms by 2030.
Finalists for The Earthshot Prize, a prestigious award launched by William, Prince of Wales, in 2020, Sea Forest have already collaborated with Australian burger chain Grill’d to introduce a beef burger made from grass-fed black Angus cattle that produces 67% less methane emissions. When the SeaFeed product is included as a small fraction of the animals’ diet (approximately 0.5%), it is scientifically proven to reduce methane production without impacting the taste or quality of beef.
“As British farming’s biggest direct customer, we are well placed to support the farmers we work with and help them farm more sustainably. This partnership supports our ambition to have net zero agriculture emissions by 2030,” said Sophie Throup, technical and sustainability director at Myton Food Group for Morrisons. “Having our own livestock experts with direct relationships with farmers enables us to make changes quickly, meaning that once our trial is complete and we have approvals in place, we can develop our lower carbon beef products and help support the drive to lower emissions from cattle.”
“Distributing our methane-busting solution to one of the most respected retailers and food producers in the U.K. to reduce livestock methane emissions is a tremendous milestone for Sea Forest,” said Sea Forest CEO Sam Elsom. “SeaFeed has the potential to sustainably feed the planet while tackling one of the most challenging pieces of the climate puzzle. Our trials with beef, dairy and wool producers across Australia and New Zealand have demonstrated excellent results and we are delighted to partner with Morrisons to make a meaningful impact on climate change at an international scale.”
The partnership is the latest step in an innovative research program by Morrisons and Queen’s University Belfast that is looking at the use of seaweed to help reduce methane production in cattle.
“We are delighted to be working closely with Morrisons and Sea Forest to provide the scientific evidence underpinning the journey towards net zero in the Morrisons beef chain,” said Professor Sharon Huws, director of research, Queen’s University Belfast, School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS). “Innovation is at the center of the IGFS ethos, and this collaboration is an important example of how our research translates into impact for the sector, and indeed for the health of our planet”.
Morrisons is committed to introducing sustainable products across all areas of the business through lower emissions sourcing and reducing the amount of plastic used. This work forms part of Morrisons ambition to be completely supplied by net zero carbon British farms by 2030 – five years ahead of the market. Last year, Morrisons became the first supermarket to introduce its own carbon neutral egg.
