Reducing methane might not be well understood by consumers, but Danone aims to bring them along on the journey, notes FoodNavigator.

In second place

Methane is among the most potent greenhouse gases, second only to CO2 in terms of its contribution to recent global warming. Agriculture and animal husbandry make significant contributions, with dairy production from cattle accounting for about 8% of total human-caused methane emissions.

Since the EU supported the Global Methane Pledge, pledging to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, dairy producers have been under pressure to reduce CH4 production.

This includes Danone, which aims to achieve methane reduction ambitions without limiting dairy production. "Reducing methane emissions is the most immediate opportunity we have to slow global warming, and we believe dairy production can be part of the solution," a company spokesperson told FoodNavigator.

Do consumers want dairy products with low methane content?

Danone is committed to reducing methane emissions. Last year, the dairy company announced plans to reduce absolute methane emissions from its fresh milk supply chain by 30% by 2030 – equivalent to 1.2 million tonnes of CO2eq.

However, unlike many strategies set by major FMCGs, this doesn't seem to be consumer-driven.

This doesn't mean environmental sustainability isn't important to consumers. It is. According to Nielsen and Mintel data, 70% of consumers globally say sustainability is now more important to them than it was two years ago, and 49% have made changes in their diet to support a more sustainable lifestyle.

But whether consumers specifically want products with lower methane content is doubtful, given the current low understanding. "Climate change, methane reduction, and regenerative agriculture can be complex and technical topics, and we know that consumers currently have a limited understanding of how their food choices relate to them," explained Danone's spokesperson.

The leading dairy producer believes it has a role to play in demystifying these topics and bringing consumers along on the journey as it "supports the transition to regenerative agricultural practices."

How is Danone reducing methane emissions from dairy products?

The question remains: how is Danone working to reduce methane emissions by 30% - from the 2020 baseline - over the next six years?

For starters, it needs to collaborate with its network of 58,000 farmers in 20 countries to get there. The company accelerated methane reduction initiatives in Africa, Europe, and the USA last year and stepped up regenerative agriculture projects aimed at reducing total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), including methane.

Other levers are also being pulled, including a focus on animal health and herd management; feed management; manure management; and the application of new technologies that serve to inhibit methane production, such as animal feed additives and wearable items for cows.

Developed by the Zero Emissions Livestock Project (ZELP), wearable technology aims to neutralize methane emissions from bovine belching.

As for feed additives, Danone has worked with Bovaer from DSM-Firmenich. The additive works by suppressing methane production in the cow's stomach. Made from two ingredients – nitrate and bio-based alcohol – the feed is broken down and processed naturally by the animal's metabolism without affecting production volumes or milk quality.

"Our feed management pilot in Belgium showed promising results when using Bovaer... which demonstrated an 18.3% reduction in enteric methane emissions," said the spokesperson.

Late last year, Danone became the first corporation to join the Global Methane Hub's Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, which aims to create new scalable and practical solutions for dairy farmers to reduce methane emissions.

Danone aligns with external partners to accelerate sector progress

In other ways, the dairy company is also engaging in external partnerships to accelerate methane reduction in the sector. Last year, the company announced a strategic partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund to improve methane science, data, and reporting in agriculture.

Danone also co-founded the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, aiming to collaborate with other dairy industry players to collectively address climate change challenges.

Educating consumers about sustainable dairy products

As all this work continues in the background, how can brands best educate consumers about sustainable practices in dairy production? It's not easy, especially against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis when buyers may opt for economical rather than ecological products.

At the same time, brands have only a certain amount of space on packaging with which to share information with consumers. On a yogurt pot, for example, once ingredient lists and nutritional information are printed, there isn't much space left for details about agricultural practices that consumers may not be sure they'll understand.

This may be what Danone has found in France, where it communicates the environmental benefits associated with its Les Deux Vaches brand. Though not strictly focused on methane production, Les Deux Vaches helps farmers transition to organic agriculture through a project called "Reine Mathilde" (a nod to the Duchess of Normandy, where the organic production development program is located).

"Les Deux Vaches supports farmers to transition to organic dairy farming practices... and actively communicates about biodiversity and organic dairy farming through social networks and its website," we were told.

As for whether and how Danone intends to communicate methane reduction efforts on packaging, we'll have to wait and see. But progress toward the company's methane goals is underway.

"As the first food company to take this step and align with the Global Methane Pledge ambition launched at COP26, this plan builds on our existing work with farmers and partners which has succeeded in reducing methane emissions by 14% between 2018 and 2020.

"Between 2020 and 2023, we achieved a 13.3% reduction in our methane emissions for fresh milk supply." (Photo: Danone)