Danone targets feed-related emissions reductions through new MoU

Danone has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with biotech multinational Ajinomoto Co., Inc. to leverage the latter’s rumen-protected lysine formulation AjiPro-L.

Introduced in 2011, the feed supplement has an 80% efficacy in terms of both allowing lysine to pass through the cow’s rumen and be absorbed in the small intestine, all while supporting higher milk production. Leveraging the ingredient across dairy farms would reduce feed procurement-related emissions – more specifically, from sourcing soybean meal - by around 20%, according to the Ajinomoto Co.’s data.

Soybean meal, a by-product of the extraction of soybean oil, contains a high level of lysine, which is one of the amino acids that lactating dairy cows need to obtain through diet. But lysine must pass through the rumen and into the small intestine to be absorbed as a nutrient and have an impact on milk production. Various solutions, from rumen-protected lysine supplements to heat-treated soybeans, are being leveraged to achieve this.

At the same time, the procurement of soybean meal is associated with high carbon footprint. In the European Union alone, about 40% of soy is imported from Brazil, where soy grown for livestock feed is linked to a high level of emissions due to deforestation and land conversion.

For Danone, introducing the supplement to dairy farms has scope to address emissions from milk production while boosting milk production at the same time.

The dairy major says that soy and palm contained within animal feed accounts for ‘no more than 5%’ of its animal feed mix – but with 75% of soy produced globally being used within feed, ‘the use of these commodities for this purpose should not be overlooked’.

Danone has publicly committed​ to completing a risk assessment of its animal feed procurement by FY25 and will ‘encourage’ milk producers to only buy feed from traders that meet commitments and/or hold credible certification by 2025.

Jean-Yves Krummenacher, chief procurement officer at Danone, explained: “With partners like Ajinomoto Co., we are expanding our toolkit of solutions that we bringing to our dairy farmers that have a dual effect - on the one hand reducing on farm GHG emissions whilst on the other, supporting farmers to improve their margin, and as a result, boost their resilience.”

In addition, the feed supplement decreases nitrous oxide emissions from manure by around 25%, according to the Japanese multinational’s trial data; and can boost the effects of methane-reducing additives by around 30% when used in amino acid-balanced feed. Danone is targeting a 30% absolute reduction in methane emissions from fresh milk used in its dairy products.

Plans are underway to introduce the rumen-protected feed additive to Danone’s contracted farmers in Spain, Brazil, and the US and to the firm’s own farms in Egypt and Morocco.

Under the agreement, Ajinomoto will partner with the dairy major to incorporate the feed ingredient into tools for quantifying GHG emissions reductions.