This week’s striking stats include a stark illustration of the scale of UK ‘megafarms’, a few million glasses raised to Carlsberg’s water stewardship efforts, a new regenerative barley partnership between Wildfarmed and beer brand Jubel, and fresh funding for farmers to invest in cutting edge agri-tech.
11 million. Chickens that can be reared at any one time across the UK’s 30 largest livestock ‘megafarms’. Campaigners found that between them the farms also have capacity to rear 145,000 pigs and at least 25,000 cattle. The figures are detailed in a new investigation by the group AGtivist which found the overall number of intensive livestock units in the UK has increased by a fifth since 2017. NGOs including Sustain and Feedback want councils to reject planning applications for new megafarms on environmental and welfare grounds.
534 million. Pints of fresh water replenished by UK farmers growing barley for Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. As part of its partnership with WWF, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company has been working with the Norfolk Rivers Trust and local farmers to adopt nature-based farming practices that increase the amount of water stored in the soil. These include planting hedgerows, soil aeration and the creation of sediment traps to catch rainwater as it runs off the soil.
>1,000. Pubs that will supply Jubel beer that is now made with barley grown in regenerative farming systems. The brand has partnered with Wildfarmed to brew its full range of beers using 100% regenerative Wildfarmed barley. The beers will be available on tap in more than 1,000 pubs including Young’s and Fullers as well as in supermarkets. Wildfarmed says it has calculated the barley delivers a carbon emissions saving of over 50%.
