Danone Commits to Reducing Methane Emissions From Dairy by 30%

Danone has announced that it aims to cut methane emissions from its fresh milk supply chain by almost one-third over the next seven years. This would make the company the first major food company to set targets in line with a pledge by 150 countries to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas from cows’ burps.

The company said that by taking steps such as better management of dairy herds, manure and feed additives, it will be able to meet the Global Methane Pledge. This pledge is a commitment by various countries to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas by 30% by 2030. It was launched at COP26 in 2021 and has since been signed by 150 countries.

Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas, and its impact is 80 times that of carbon dioxide in the short term. Therefore, reducing methane emissions is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change. By reducing methane emissions, we can quickly reduce the rate at which the planet is heating up.

However, reducing methane emissions from the agricultural sector is much harder than tackling it in the oil and gas sector. The UN Environment Programme estimates that agriculture and livestock represent around 40% of human-caused methane emissions. Danone says that dairy accounts for about 8% of human-caused methane emissions.

The sources of methane in the dairy industry are much more distributed among smallholdings and farmers who typically don’t have the resources to address these emissions. In addition, these farms are often located in areas with little infrastructure and few resources, making it difficult to implement methane mitigation strategies.

Danone, which makes dairy products like yogurt and kefir, will focus on three ways to reduce methane starting with ensuring farmers take better care of cows, said Chris Adamo, vice president of regenerative agriculture policy at Danone. A well-managed and healthy herd can result in lower emissions per liter of milk and improve farmers’ livelihoods through better efficiency, he said. This will help to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly dairy industry.

The French dairy group is looking to manage manure better, with projects in Belgium, Spain and the US that convert waste into renewable biogas. This will stop the fermentation process and prevent the emission of methane.

Altering cow feed to reduce burping can also reduce emissions. Danone helped in a pilot study in Belgium of a food additive called Bovaer, created by Royal DSM, finding it could reduce methane emissions by 18%. Danone’s venture arm has also invested in Symbrosia, a company that is looking into seaweed as a food additive to reduce methane emissions.

Danone has announced that it expects to reduce its methane emissions by 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, compared to its emissions in 2020. The French group said that it has already reduced its methane emissions by around 14% between 2018 and 2020.

There are many small-scale dairy farmers, making it difficult to measure emissions across the entire supply chain. However, failing to meet methane reduction goals could be a huge threat to the dairy industry, especially as plant-based dairy substitutes become more popular and regulatory oversight increases.

New Zealand, the largest dairy exporter, plans to start taxing agricultural emissions by 2025. Irish farmers are expected to reduce emissions by a quarter before 2030. Denmark wants its farming and forestry sectors to cut emissions by as much as 65%. Danone has not said whether it will reduce the amount of milk it uses to reach the target. Adamo said the pledge is about making sure cow’s milk has a future.

"It's an incredibly important nutrient-dense option that's accessible for a lot of people at a reasonable price point," Adamo said. "And so this is about us helping preserve that option into the future."