Sustainable Beef Role at Harper Adams filled by Professor Jude Capper, appointed by ABP

ABP and Harper Adams University have unveiled the appointment of Professor Jude Capper to the innovative position of Professor of Sustainable Beef. This role, supported by ABP, will enable Professor Capper to spearhead the advancement of research and postgraduate programs focused on sustainable systems for ruminant meat production at Harper Adams. Additionally, she will collaborate with ABP to enhance and implement its pioneering sustainable beef research initiative at its demonstration farm located in Shropshire. Professor Capper is internationally recognized as an expert in sustainable beef production, with her work spanning the UK, the United States, and beyond. She has been honored with the esteemed John Hammond Award from the British Society of Animal Science for her contributions to the field. In discussing her new role, Professor Capper emphasized the importance of academia collaborating closely with the industry to ensure research is applicable, relevant, and beneficial to the sectors it aims to serve. She highlighted the significant role of ABP in the British beef and lamb industry and the critical place of ruminant livestock in the UK's food production chain. Professor Capper expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to explore, enhance, and communicate the significance of sustainable beef and sheep systems in the UK to a broad audience, including consumers, retailers, and policymakers. Professor Capper also stressed the industry's responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to minimizing environmental impacts and achieving the UK government's net zero objectives through scientific, evidence-based methods and practices. She pointed out the importance of identifying key factors and practices that can collectively enhance livestock productivity, resource utilization, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and farm profitability, ensuring the continued prominence of British meat in the national diet. Dean Holroyd, Group Technical and Sustainability Director at ABP, expressed excitement about Professor Capper's appointment, noting it strengthens the strategic partnership between Harper Adams and ABP. He remarked that her role is pivotal in developing more sustainable beef production models in the UK and internationally, while also considering environmental and economic factors. Holroyd acknowledged Professor Capper's global expertise in sustainable beef production systems and her valuable insights in aiding ABP's progress towards Net Zero. Recent findings from a multi-year research project involving over 4,000 animals at ABP's Demonstration Farms in Shropshire and Ireland revealed that methane emissions in beef production could be reduced by up to 40% from ABP's current average by adopting a more data-driven approach throughout the supply chain.