ONLINE ORDERINGThe Future of Farming
With our partner of 35 years, ABP, we have embarked on a 5-year project to better understand the principles of regenerative farming and their potential impact so that we can gather these insights and share it more widely across our supply chain.
This project will follow Tipperary farmer Aoibhín Coady’s journey as she trials a wide range of regenerative agricultural practices. This initiative will look at the impacts these practices can have across 6 key pillars ; livestock responsibility; soil health; water quality; crop diversity; biodiversity; and farmer education. The aim is to also highlight the processes and benefits to farmers, while continuing to produce the same healthy, high-quality beef that is synonymous with Sysco and ABP
Over the course of the 5 years we will look at performance indicators across the 6 main pillars:
Soil Health, Water Quality, Crop Diversity, Biodiversity, Livestock Responsibility and Farmer Education
Throughout the project, results will be scientifically measured and verified by a panel of independent experts.
Speaking on the project, Mark Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Sysco, said:
“We are proud to partner with ABP and Aoibhín and to be the first foodservice specialist involved in a research project of this significance. The ultimate aim of Regen is to support the development of farming processes that work in harmony with nature while providing the healthy and high-quality food our customers demand. ”
“At Sysco we are steadfast in our commitment to driving innovation and promoting sustainability across every part of the food industry. This pioneering project, plays an important part in achieving this ambition.”
Future of Farming – Baseline Report from Tipperary Demonstration Farm:
Our first Future of Farming Baseline Report marks an important milestone in our regenerative agriculture partnership with ABP and the Coady family farm in South Tipperary. Over the past year, we have gathered detailed measurements across six key pillars — livestock responsibility, soil health, water quality, crop diversity, biodiversity, and farmer education — to establish a clear starting point for the project. The baseline results show encouraging performance in several areas, while also highlighting opportunities for continued improvement. By publishing this report, we aim to share transparent, data‑driven insights into how regenerative practices are performing on the ground and to track progress over the coming years as the project evolves.
See below for a summary of some of our key findings – A full copy of the baseline report is available here.
Key findings from the Sysco ABP farm highlighted:
- A reduction in carbon footprint to 1.81 kg below the national average largely driven by the farm’s adoption of technology which has resulted in improved animal breeding, grassland management and improved animal nutrition leading to reduction in age of finish.
- Achieved majority of soils at optimum fertility (79.4 percent compared to 13 percent national average), a baseline result which will continue to be monitored, driven by the farmer’s commitment to improving soil health via regular soil sampling and development of a soil improvement programme on the farm.
- Biodiversity levels significantly exceed national averages, with space allocated for nature surpassing Ireland’s 10% target and far exceeding that of the average Irish beef farm, where less than 3% contributes to the country’s 700,000 km of hedgerows.