GLOBAL – Danone and the Global Methane Hub (GMH) have joined forces in a new partnership aimed at curbing methane emissions and fostering scalable solutions in farming practices.
Danone will pioneer corporate funding for the Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, which stands as the largest globally coordinated research endeavor focusing on enteric methane.
Coordinated by GMH and supported by an alliance of philanthropic organizations and governments, the Accelerator has amassed US$200 million in funding.
Its aim is to invest in pioneering research and innovation to develop practical and scalable solutions for livestock farmers, mitigating the enteric fermentation process in ruminant livestock.
Research efforts encompass mitigating methane through feed additives, plant and animal genetics, methane vaccines, as well as accessible and affordable measurement technologies.
In this collaboration, Danone will collaborate with academic experts and technology providers to trial solutions that aid in dossier building for regulatory approvals. These innovations aim to benefit various farm systems in multiple countries.
Apart from contributing to the funding of the Accelerator, Danone’s collaboration with GMH extends to the development of a methane accounting and feed optimization decision support tool for dairy cattle.
The initial pilot phase will engage Danone’s smallholder dairy farms in North Africa, commencing with a pilot involving 1,000 farmers in Morocco.
This tool intends to assist farm advisors in formulating dairy diets based on locally available feed and well-defined feed quality.
The primary objective is to demonstrate the positive outcomes of improved livestock nutrition, enhancing productivity, elevating farmers’ income, and reducing methane emissions.
The reduction in methane emissions offers immediate climate benefits, surpassing the impact of carbon dioxide reduction alone, as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Cattle dairy production constitutes an estimated 8% of total human-induced methane emissions globally, accounting for approximately 40% of global methane emissions attributed to agriculture and livestock activities.
Marcelo Mena, Chief Executive Officer at the Global Methane Hub, emphasized the significance of methane reduction efforts in agriculture, particularly highlighting enteric fermentation as the largest single source of methane emissions within the sector.
He stressed the necessity for scaled-up investments from philanthropy, governments, and the private sector to expedite the development of practical solutions.
This coordinated effort aims to ensure these solutions are impactful, fostering greater economic and food security for local communities and revolutionizing the future of sustainable farming.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Chief Executive Officer at Danone, stressed the pivotal role of methane reduction in combating climate change, ensuring the sustainability of food systems, and supporting farming communities.
As a longstanding advocate for sustainability, Saint-Affrique emphasized the need for collaborative efforts in scaling and implementing impactful methane reduction solutions.
This partnership with the Global Methane Hub stands as a crucial step in creating, testing, and deploying practical solutions, ensuring the world can continue to enjoy the benefits of yogurt while contributing to a sustainable future for rural communities.
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