PILGRIM’S EUROPE has completed a large-scale on-farm biodiversity monitoring trial using AI-powered birdsong technology across 40 farms in its UK supply chain.
The trial, carried out using Chirrup.ai acoustic monitoring technology, covered 10 broiler farms in Lincolnshire and 30 pig farms in Norfolk. It was designed to establish a biodiversity baseline by measuring birdlife as an indicator of wider ecosystem health.
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Acoustic devices were deployed on farms for 21 days, capturing continuous recordings of bird populations. The recordings were then analysed using artificial intelligence to identify bird species and assess biodiversity levels across the participating sites.
Pilgrim’s Europe said the project has provided new insight into how on-farm features and management practices influence biodiversity outcomes. The data will be used to support future decision-making around measures such as hedgerow management, grass cutting regimes and tree planting.
The company said the findings will help inform its wider approach to sustainable farming and environmental stewardship across its supply chain.
Measurable biodiversity
Anna Ganiford, sustainable agriculture manager at Pilgrim’s Europe, said: “Our farmers are already doing incredible work to look after their land, and this project gives us a new way to recognise and build on that. By trialling Chirrup.ai’s technology, we can start to listen to nature and make biodiversity something measurable, not just visible.
“What this trial has really given us is clarity. We now have a much better understanding of biodiversity across our farms and the role that everyday farm management plays in shaping that. Importantly, it gives us a baseline we didn’t have before – so we can track progress and make more informed decisions about where to focus efforts going forward.”
Pilgrim’s Europe said the use of birdsong monitoring underlined the role of birds as a practical measure of ecosystem health on farms. By building a clearer picture of species presence and biodiversity levels, the business said it can better understand the environmental impact of everyday farm management decisions.
The project complements Pilgrim’s Europe’s wider sustainability and research activity, including NUE-Leg, focused on nitrogen utilisation efficiency in legumes; Breed4Change; and Land Use for Net Zero, known as LUNZ.
These programmes are designed to support lower emissions, improved soil health and greater resilience across the company’s UK supply base.
