The project is being carried out by Julian Morgan and Mike Tyers from the company's renewables division 'Countrywide Renewable Energy' and will seek to investigate how the poultry industry can help supply quality proteins to feed growing global populations, despite the declining availability of traditional energy resources.

The Temperton Fellowship, now in its 21st year, is established to honor the contribution of Dr Harold Temperton, who was the Director of the National Institute of Poultry Husbandry at Harper Adams University College for 23 years. The Fellowship is awarded on an annual basis to one of the countries senior poultry experts or organisations who wish to spearhead a new research project that will have a strategic benefit for the future well-being of the poultry industry.

"We are honoured to receive this prestigious award from Harper Adams," says Julian Morgan, Director of Countrywide's renewable division.

"Our research will focus on how the poultry industry needs to adapt to cope with increasing demand and new challenges in an environment where energy is likely to become a limiting resource. High production efficiencies, animal welfare standards, food quality and security need to be maintained using minimum energy inputs, taking advantage of renewable energy opportunities and other emerging technologies."

"If the poultry industry is to play its part in meeting future energy targets while supplying the worlds ever increasing population with protein, then as an industry we must focus on reducing overall energy use as well as adopting sustainable energy generation."

Mr Morgan continues: "There are many renewable energy and energy reduction options available to consider that will help the poultry industry meet targets, most will save producers money, subsequently increasing their bottom line."

"My vision for the project is to firstly identify the quantities of energy currently used within the industry and then by assessing the future changes that are expected to take place as a result of population growth, dietary change, animal welfare legislation, technological change and political will what will be the expected energy consumption. It will then be a matter of recommending how the industry will manage and develop to meet these changes."

Mr Morgan will be working in partnership with Mike Tyers, renewable energy consultant at Countrywide and will present their findings at the Farmers' Club, in London on the 10th June 2013. Copies of the report will be available directly from Harper Adams University College afterwards.

To find out more about the project, or the services offered by Countrywide's Renewables division, click here.