Pilgrim's Europe has completed a large-scale on-farm biodiversity monitoring trial across 40 farms – including 10 broiler farms in Lincolnshire and 30 pig farms in Norfolk – establishing a baseline of birdlife and wider ecosystem health.

By trialling AI-powered birdsong technology, Chirrup.ai, Pilgrim's Europe has gained important new insight into the birdlife across its UK farming supply chain.

Acoustic devices were deployed on farms for 21 days, capturing continuous recordings of bird populations, which were analysed using AI to identify species and assess biodiversity levels.

The findings establish a clear baseline for biodiversity across the farms and highlight the value of birds as a practical indicator of wider ecosystem health. They also provide new insight into how on-farm features and management practices influence biodiversity outcomes, highlighting how everyday farm decisions shape ecosystem health.

The data will help inform future decision-making on improving biodiversity across the whole company, including considerations around hedgerow management, grass cutting and tree planting. Cementing Pilgrim's Europe's commitment to supporting sustainable farming and environmental stewardship across its supply chain.

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."

The project compliments Pilgrim's Europe's wider sustainability and research programmes, including NUE-Leg (Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency in Legumes), Breed4Change and Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) – all designed to reduce emissions, improve soil health and build resilience across its UK supply base.