UK | Tesco has partnered with Grosvenor Farms, one of its essential UK dairy farms, to trial a methane-reducing feed supplement for dairy cows.
Identified as having one of the lowest carbon footprints of any UK milk producer, Grosvenor Farms, one of the original members of the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG), has added the methane-reducing feed supplement to the diet of 400 cows as part of the trial.
Methane from cattle burps and manure has significantly contributed to greenhouse gas emissions. In digesting their high-fibre diet, cows emit methane as a byproduct. Globally, cows and other farm animals are responsible for about 14 percent of human-induced climate emissions.
The innovative ingredient Bovaer, supplied by DSM-Firmenich, has been shown to reduce methane emissions by up to 30 percent. It could reduce farm greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12 percent if implemented across Grosvenor Farms.
The supplement suppresses the enzymes responsible for producing methane without impacting animal welfare. As a result of the enhanced feed, each cow's carbon footprint is projected to reduce by about 1.3 tonnes CO2e annually.
If the four-month trial is successful, Tesco hopes to scale up the use of Bovaer across the TSDG, reducing emissions and helping to create a more sustainable food system.
“Leading the transition to a low carbon agriculture sector is something we’re passionate about at Tesco. We’ve been carrying out innovative trials like this for several years now, so I’m delighted we will partner with Grosvenor Farms on a project that could significantly reduce emissions in our supply chain,” said Natalie Smith, Head of Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries at Tesco.
“It’s only by working alongside our suppliers and farmers that we’ll achieve our shared net zero ambitions while continuing to provide our customers with quality British produce, including 100% British milk.”
Grosvenor Farms, Cheshire, is one of the UK’s leading dairy and arable farms. It works by the principles of regenerative agriculture and circular farming to produce high-quality foods in a commercially and environmentally sustainable way.
The TSDG, now in its 17th year, consists of more than 400 British dairy farmers who are paid on a cost-of-production+ model for the fresh milk they supply to Tesco, ensuring a consistent, fair price for every pint of milk.
Tesco paid £40 million above market price to its TSDG farmers over the 2023 calendar year.
“We see commercial and environmental sustainability as mutually reinforcing, producing high-quality milk while also working to improve soil health, eliminate pollution and recycle waste,” said Mark Roach, Managing Director of Grosvenor Farms.
“We already have one of the lowest carbon footprints for milk production in the UK, and we are very pleased to be working with our partner Tesco to trial innovative technologies like Bovaer to develop a lower-carbon milk supply chain and, in doing so, support our ambition to be a carbon net zero milk producer by 2030.”
The innovative trial is the latest in a series of steps Tesco has taken to support its farmers, growers, and producers in becoming more sustainable, protecting nature and biodiversity on farms, and encouraging customers to shop Tesco’s range of quality British produce.
