FRANCE – Danone, one of the world’s largest food and beverage corporations, has revealed plans to reduce its carbon footprint by targeting the reduction of its methane emissions by 30% come 2030.
The plan constitutes working directly with farmers and policymakers to implement regenerative dairy practices to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and ultimately slow climate change.
Danone’s CEO, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, said that it is the company’s duty together with other global food giants, to build farming models that benefit the climate in a bid to tackle global warming together.
Danone has already cut its methane emissions by 14% in its fresh milk supply chain between 2018 and 2020 and they hope to have removed 1.2 million tons of methane emissions by 2030.
These objectives fall in line with the Global Methane Pledge signed by 150 companies at the United Nations COP26 climate conference held recently.
Danone also recently entered a partnership with Environmental Defence Fund (EDF), a non-profit organisation whose mission is “to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends”. EDF works in approximately 30 countries.
This partnership will see the organizations working together to improve data and reporting standards, enhance policy leadership through advocacy and design innovative finance models between companies and the government to help farmers.
“Danone is the first food company raising this type of ambition, but it can’t be the last,” said EDF president Fred Krupp. “We invite other food companies, farmers and policymakers to join us on a path toward 2030 climate results.”
The production processes of fresh milk contribute about 70% of Danone’s methane emissions, while methane makes up 30% of Danone’s total emissions. Dairy production makes up 8% of total human-caused methane emissions.
The goal to reduce the company’s emissions will be beneficial to the climate, biodiversity, and soil quality.
Danone sources its milk from 58,000 dairy farmers across 20 countries and has already put in place initiatives such as Farming for Generations in 14 countries through its regenerative agriculture program.
It expects to launch four new initiatives for greenhouse gas emissions reduction in Africa, Europe and the United States later on in the year.
Danone North America is also working closely with the Department of Agriculture in the US to support farmers in reducing methane emissions through comprehensive regenerative strategies such as improved manure management and improved fertilizer use on cropland.
Several other dairy companies are also implementing new farming methods to reduce their output of greenhouse gas emissions.
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