Carbon Footprinting is the calculation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the production of a product, in this case chicken meat. It is expressed as Carbon Dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

It includes direct emissions (e.g. gas) and indirect emissions (e.g. electricity). The calculated figure gives a baseline to be able to reduce environmental impact.

The Manor Farm IFA Grower Group came together to develop their own Carbon Footprint calculator for their farmers, they knew more focus was emerging from the processor, industry and consumers. The group represents commercial broiler growers of varied farm sizes.

The calculator will allow farmers who have made improvements on farms to see this reflected in their annual figure. It will also allow benchmarking between the farmers to encourage change and further sustainability.

As chicken production has a relatively low Carbon Footprint compared to other livestock sectors, it is important to highlight this message in marketing; therefore, it is necessary to measure the CO2e.

By measuring the Carbon Footprint, it highlights potential environmental and financial savings. It provides the ability to benchmark with other farmers and producers. An example of this may be utilising solar panels for electricity, or changing the heat source to biomass from a fossil fuels.