Cranswick PLC has joined forces with an AI agtech start-up to achieve its 2040 Net Zero goals.
AgriSound in York will work with the group to create a Carbon Insetting Scheme. That’s the process of integrating nature-based solutions within the supply chain to reduce the amount of carbon emitted – such as investing in reforestation, agroforestry, renewable energy and regenerative agriculture. This compares to Carbon Offsetting, which is acquiring credits to counteract produced emissions.
“We see Cranswick’s Carbon Insetting Scheme as having all the makings of a gamechanger for an industry under increasing pressure to meet Net Zero commitments and we are excited that our expertise in providing verified real-time data on insect health and activity will be fundamental to the success of the project,” explained Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound.
“As well as helping significantly improving biodiversity on its farms and ultimately providing increased income for its producers, the scheme is set to be an industry leader in using nature-based solutions and ag-tech data to prioritise the environment. So, the planet wins too – which has to be the ultimate aim.”
The York company said its groundbreaking bioacoustics listening technology would be central to the success of this – so it can statistically verify the quality of its insetting activity.
Its tech monitors pollination, using sound, environment, vision and emerging technology sensors to record insect activity.
Cranswick said its farmers will be financially incentivised to enhance biodiversity, and its producer base will receive payments for planting wildflowers and flower-rich grasses to bolster habitats’ biodiversity and boost healthier soil production. Expert agronomy company, H.L. Hutchinson, is on board to provide the soil carbon mapping.
The scheme is supported by a £362K Innovate UK grant, which will be used to help AgriSound to develop and deliver multiple new bioacoustic AI algorithms for key indicator species including hoverflies, butterflies, and moths, as well as honeybees and bumblebees.
It will also incorporate open-access birdsong algorithms.
The data will be delivered in real-time to Cranswick and its farmers through data management platforms on desktop and mobile app.
“We have already made significant progress in reducing carbon emissions in our supply chain, but we wanted to really accelerate change from within. We’re committed to ensuring this collaborative project will be able to verify the reduced carbon emissions within Cranswick’s agricultural supply chain, quantifying improvements in biodiversity, while at the same time financially rewarding our producers for their environmental efforts,” added Ash Gilman, Director of Agricultural Strategy at Cranswick.
“We are determined that by being able to verifiably demonstrate our leveraging of nature-based solutions, this Carbon Insetting Scheme will keep us solidly on track to zero carbon emissions by 2040. And by sharing the blueprint for the scheme within the wider agri-food industry, we hope to set a new standard for the adoption of sustainability within it.”
