Dutch dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina has teamed up with chocolate and cocoa manufacturer Barry Callebaut in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through cow feed additive.
Working with additive producer Agolin and feed producer Agrifirm, the initiative will launch this month with a group of member farmers set to trial the product for a year.
Through the collaboration, FrieslandCampina aims to increase sustainability practices throughout the entire chain.
During the pilot, selected farmers will test Agolin’s feed additive, which is provided in a mineral mixture by Agrifirm. The product blends plant extracts from spices and herbs, which is known to reduce the methane gases emitted by cows.
According to the Carbon Trust, current trials have indicated a potential 14% reduction of enteric emissions per kilogram of milk – data which has been used to inform the year-long pilot’s initiation.
“We’re excited that an important customer such as Barry Callebaut joins us on our ‘lead with sustainability’ journey,” said Simone Boitelle, director of corporate affairs and communications at FrieslandCampina.
Boitelle added: “For us it’s in our DNA to work together for the long-term, to truly make a measurable sustainable impact. That’s what we call cooperative sustainability. And that’s exactly what we are doing now with our partners. From feed to cow, from milk to chocolate.”
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