New Arla trial looks to cut methane emissions from dairy cows

Arla has joined forces with some of its retailer buyers in a farm-level study investigating how a specific feed additive can help reduce enteric methane emissions.

Around 30 Arla milk suppliers have been recruited to trial Bovaer to help the co-operative and retailers better understand how the product impacts on farm operations and how additives in general can be incorporated into feeding routines and their use scaled up.

See also: Methane-suppressing feed additive approved for use in UK

Arla has described it as a “first of its kind” initiative, with its UK agricultural director Paul Dover suggesting that feed additives have “huge potential” to improve carbon footprint at farm level.

But he acknowledged that rolling out feed additive use at scale would “not be easy” because of cost, adding “it’s important we understand more about their usage potential and then work together with the industry, government and our partners to support farmers if we want to harness the opportunity they present in driving down emissions”.

As part of its FarmAhead Customer Partnership initiative, Arla will work alongside retail partners Morrisons and Aldi on this initiative, and with Tesco through its new Future Dairy Partnership initiative.

Farmer involvement

One of the farmers involved in the trial is Cumbrian milk producer Andrew Barraclough.

He sees potential in the role of feed additives in helping farmers like him reduce emissions, but says the outlay adds to the cost of production.

“Farmers are trying to accelerate the transition to more sustainable dairy farming, but we can’t do it alone,” he says.

“It’s why collective initiatives like this between Arla and its customers are so important for farmers – we need the wider industry to come together and support us if we are going to drive change.”

Bovaer claims to reduce enteric methane emissions from cows on average by 27%.

New partnership

Earlier this month, Arla announced that it had created a new sustainability partnership with Tesco.

The Future Dairy Partnership, which involves Müller UK & Ireland too, pledges to bring together organisations from across the dairy industry to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030.

All 400 farmers in Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) are participating.

The Future Dairy Partnership involves innovation, with initiatives like the feed additive trial, industry reports on the financial support needed to transition to more sustainable dairy, and a set of guidelines on sustainability targets and ethical practices for farmers.