Coles expands its carbon-neutral beef range

Coles has expanded its carbon-neutral beef range, with products now available for purchase in New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.

Six cuts of beef are available in the range, including porterhouse steak, chuck roast and Scotch fillet, the latter of which was recently awarded Product of the Year in the 2023 Consumer Survey of Product Innovation.

In accordance with the Australian Government’s Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, the range is certified carbon-neutral from paddock to shelf.

Coles National Livestock Manager (Beef and Lamb) Stephen Rennie said Coles is proud to partner with farmers to provide more customers with a sustainable meat product and support the company’s Together to Zero ambitions.

“We were really encouraged by the response we received when we launched Coles Finest Certified Carbon Neutral Beef in Victoria earlier this year, and we’re very excited to be able to provide this industry-leading, sustainable option to more customers around the country,” Rennie said.

Managing Director of Integrity Ag and Environment Dr Stephen Wiedemann has been working with Coles for two years to pilot and deliver ways to lower emissions throughout the entire supply chain and use emission removals to deliver carbon neutrality.

“We certify every farm and facility throughout the whole supply chain to confirm emissions, emission reductions and emission removals. These results are independently verified by a third-party verifier and approved by the federal government’s Climate Active program,” Wiedemann said.

“In this program, we are delivering low-emission beef by maximising productivity in the supplier herds, insetting via on-farm tree planting, soil carbon sequestration and, in the near future, feeding next-generation supplements to directly reduce livestock emissions. This is an exciting program delivering real change through the whole industry.”

Holbrook cattle farmer Daniel Mathie has made significant changes to the operation of his family’s farm over the past several years in order to reduce emissions and supply the carbon-neutral beef range. He has achieved this through the installation of solar panels, the storage of carbon in the soil through best practice soil and pasture management, a focus on herd productivity, the use of cattle genetics and the planting of more than 50,000 trees.

“We’re really excited to be collaborating with Coles on this cutting-edge project, because sustainability is paramount to my family and I. We make a living off the land, but if we don’t look after it, it won’t be here for future generations,” Mathie said.

The carbon-neutral beef carries the Climate Active logo on the packaging. This certification is awarded to businesses and organisations that have credibly reached a state of achieving carbon neutrality for their products or services.

Meat and Livestock Australia Managing Director Jason Strong congratulated Coles on the expansion of the range and said it was an important step towards achieving the red meat industry’s target of carbon neutrality by 2030.

“Coles is leading the charge when it comes to carbon-neutral beef. By working directly with farmers to help them lower emissions and offset carbon, the red meat industry is getting closer towards achieving its target of carbon-neutral by 2030,” Strong said.

Thanks to Coles’s packaging partner, Plantic, the beef is packed into a recyclable tray that is made from 90% recycled and plant-based sources. The product is available online and in store for customers in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia, and is set to be available nationally by April 2023.