QUEENSLAND-based Arcadian Organic and Natural Meat Co has become Australia's first 100 per cent carbon neutral meat business.
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The carbon neutral status applies to some 180,000 grass-fed, certified organic livestock on about 120 farms across Australia.
The company is best known for its industry-leading brands Cleavers Organic and Borrowdale Free Range Pork.
Arcadian chief executive officer Alister Ferguson said the move was based on Arcadian's core business value of responsibility: treating animals, people and the land well.
"This is a very big achievement. It means that everything Arcadian does is 100pc carbon neutral - every product, every process," Mr Ferguson said.
"We understand that our prosperity is tied to the land. We want to do everything we can to ensure the natural patterns that have produced our productive landscape remain as they have always been, keeping the country healthy and productive.
"This made us look closely at our carbon footprint and how we manage it. The result was that we chose to make Arcadian's entire business and all of our products carbon neutral.
"This was a major commitment for us, but it's the right thing to do. Becoming carbon neutral is right ethically, and it's right commercially."
Arcadian partnered with the Carbon Reduction Institute to achieve its carbon neutral status under CRI's NoCO2 program. Every process and all products sold by Arcadian are now certified carbon neutral.
Arcadian invested in carbon offsets to compensate for the company's carbon footprint, in particular the Mytrah Wind Power Farm in India.
