**Overview**: This project focuses on developing a technology-verified carbon insetting scheme for Cranswick to 1) reduce carbon emissions associated with their agricultural supply chain and 2) quantify biodiversity changes. The new scheme will provide a financial incentive for Cranswick's producer base by planting wildflowers and/or flower-rich grasses, creating new forms of income for farmers at a time of financial uncertainty. Verification of positive environmental changes in response to land use changes will come from AgriSound (biodiversity monitoring using bioacoustics) and Hutchinson (soil carbon mapping). The carbon insetting scheme will be co-designed with farmers following a double diamond methodology. **Innovation**: Whilst Cranswick has made significant progress in reducing carbon emissions, there remains pressure to do more to meet net zero commitments. Carbon insetting (using nature-based solutions within a supply chain) is an attractive alternative to purchasing carbon credits from offsetting schemes, but there is a major challenge around verifying the quality of the insetting work due to current reliance on manual assessments to quantify levels of improvement. Efforts have been made by Cranswick to identify suitable technology providers and internal trials have validated key technologies (AgriSound, Hutchinson/Omnia) with the ability to provide partial verification methods. However, more work is required to a) expand the monitoring capabilities (particularly for biodiversity monitoring) and b) integrate technologies into a single platform with the ability to manage the resulting scheme and provide the necessary level of confidence by all stakeholders. The project will deliver multiple new bioacoustic algorithms for key indicator species (honeybees, bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths) as well as re-parameterise open-access birdsong algorithms to operate in a real-time manner. APIs for data transfer from AgriSound into the Omnia platform will be developed, as well as new farmer and corporate dashboards for scheme management. The project also has a strong focus on commercial innovation, with Cranswick working closely with their farming base to develop the scheme, balancing the level of financial incentives required with the need for rapid, large-scale adoption. The blueprint for the Cranswick Carbon Insetting Scheme (CCIS) will be made available for use by the wider agri-food industry, creating a legacy that will be critical in driving environmental gains and a significant commercial opportunity for the technology providers.

The use of novel feed materials to increase sustainable protein production whilst improving the health and survival of piglets post-weaning will be addressed. Poor growth rates and high disease incidence are associated with the early post-weaning period due to factors such as oxidative stress that causes gut damage. Sustainable alternatives to zinc oxide, added to feed as an anti-microbial and growth promoter, are required to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve subsequent growth and productivity. Improved pig nutrition across the lifespan will also improve meat quality, reducing import dependence. The project will build on prior feasibility studies where supplementation of pig feed with polyphenols provided protective effects, improving piglet gut health and survival, as well as meat quality and shelf life. Polyphenols are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant compounds present in plant materials. Agri-food by-products (AFBPs) generated by agriculture and food processing activities are readily available for processing to provide a sustainable source of polyphenol-rich feed supplements. Conventional methods (e.g., drying and milling) will be used to process AFBPs for inclusion in pig feed. Polyphenol extraction using previously developed sustainable methods will enable separation of polyphenols from plant fibre. These polyphenol rich extracts can then be standardised for use as supplements. Separation from fibre is important when feeding the young pig as high dietary fibre around weaning reduces nutrient utilisation and thus feed effciency. The benefits of polyphenol supplementation will be examined across the pig lifespan through controlled feeding trials at the University of Leeds National Pig Centre and commercial farms at Cranswick facilities. The economic and sustainability benefits of these innovative approaches will be compared to existing practices. Successful AFBP exploitation will generate additional revenue streams for farmers, divert waste from landfill and help achievement of net-zero carbon emission targets. AFBP use will also reduce the requirement for crop production for animal feed, increasing the availability of land for human food production, further contributing to food security and supply chain resilience. Significant opportunities for innovative animal feed formulations and new product development will be generated, helping grow the UK economy and create employment opportunities, while supporting a transition to a low-carbon circular bioeconomy.

The vision for SecQuAL is a secure, quality assured, digitally enabled food ecosystem that will reduce waste, improve decision-making and provide consumers with confidence in the food they purchase and consume. The next best thing since sliced bread! SecQuAL's key objective is to overhaul the food supply chain from farm to fork. SecQuAL addresses current bottlenecks and inefficient paper practices, enables remote regulatory oversight and compliance, provides quality assurance throughout all supply chain links, and enables smart decisions to be made to reduce food waste, reduce carbon emissions as a result of unnecessary transport, and increase consumer confidence in the food purchased and consumed. SecQuAL is innovative because it brings technology to the fore to modernise a complete food ecosystem. It will increase the number of digital technology companies providing solutions for manufacturing industries by bringing together an excellent consortium with partners spanning the full food ecosystem introducing digital technologies to modernise current practices. SecQuAL will simplify a complex industry.