Danone, FrieslandCampina cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% in three years in dairy ingredient collaboration

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A three-year partnership between Danone and supplier FrieslandCampina (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) during the production of dairy ingredients specifically for Danone has resulted in a 17% reduction in GHG emissions. The companies worked together with dairy farmers to implement sustainable farming practices and green energy usage, with FrieslandCampina measuring emissions reductions using the Annual Nutrient Cycling Assessment tool. FrieslandCampina says nearly 10,000 of the member dairy farms it works with use this tool.

Based on their success in cutting GHG emissions, Danone and FrieslandCampina plan to continue this effort for another three years, with a goal of further reducing GHG emissions by more than 7% during production of ingredients for Danone.

According to a FrieslandCampina press release, “Committed to making our food system more sustainable, FrieslandCampina and Danone are both running extensive sustainability programs to reduce their environmental impact. Both companies have committed to reaching net zero, as one of their climate goals, as well as improving soil health and biodiversity. One of the ways to achieve these goals is through regenerative agriculture practices. FrieslandCampina and Danone both want to support farmers on the journey towards a sustainable future, which led to this partnership.”

Some of the sustainable practices they implemented were having farmers harvest more protein from their own farms to feed cows instead of having to outsource feed; establishing a diet for cows that was well-balanced and nutritious while also helping reduce methane emissions; and implementing green energy measures such as using electricity from solar panels, windmills, and manure digesters.

In the press release, Yann-Gaël Rio, Danone’s global vice president for Nature and Agriculture, added, “Sustainable dairy farming is a key priority in Danone’s journey to achieving net zero emissions. This partnership demonstrates that by combining our expertise, we can accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices to help reduce the climate impact of dairy farming. While this is a great step, there is more to be done, and we are looking forward to supporting more farmers in their transition by extending this partnership for an additional three years.”