Project Duration:
24 Months - May 2024 to April 2026.
Project Partners:
AgriSound, Cranswick PLC, Hutchinson Ltd.
Funder:
Innovate UK
Objective:
To reduce carbon emissions associated with Cranswick’s farming base while quantifying biodiversity improvements, creating a credible, technology-backed alternative to traditional carbon offsetting. The scheme will also provide farmers with new financial incentives through the planting of wildflowers and flower-rich grasses.
Innovation:
🐝Development of a technology-verified insetting scheme that combines:
- AgriSound’s bioacoustic biodiversity monitoring (bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths, and birds).
- Hutchinsons’ soil carbon mapping through the Omnia platform.
🐝Integration of these tools into a single digital platform, supported by farmer and corporate dashboards, enabling real-time tracking and transparent verification.
🐝Co-design of the scheme with farmers using a double diamond methodology to balance financial incentives with practical adoption.
Significance:
The Cranswick Carbon Insetting Scheme provides an alternative to purchasing traditional carbon offsets by embedding nature-based climate solutions directly within the supply chain. It addresses one of the biggest challenges in carbon insetting - the need for verifiable and scalable monitoring of environmental outcomes - by using advanced technologies to track both carbon and biodiversity improvements. At the same time, the scheme strengthens Cranswick’s net zero strategy while creating new revenue streams for farmers, offering vital financial support during a period of uncertainty in the agricultural sector.
Impact Goals:
🐝Reduce agricultural supply chain emissions.
🐝Increase biodiversity through habitat creation and management.
🐝Deliver new, validated bioacoustic algorithms and real-time biodiversity indices.
🐝Build a blueprint insetting scheme that can be adopted across the wider agri-food sector, creating both environmental and commercial impact.