Thomas Lyons 
Glanbia, the global nutrition group, has taken a proactive step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by data-mapping its direct milk suppliers in the US. This will enable the group to identify the sources of their emissions and calculate their baseline emission factor. Glanbia is also tailoring this approach to each supplier and exploring how technology can help. The group has published an update on how it is working with suppliers and joint venture partners in the US to promote a sustainable dairy industry. Michael Patten, Glanbia’s chief environmental, social, governance (ESG) and corporate affairs officer, said that they are looking at the most effective technologies to reduce on-farm greenhouse gases (GHGs) while also considering their economic viability and feasibility.
In its latest update, Glanbia has revealed that the largest proportion of GHG emissions in its supply chain primarily comes from cows’ digestive process (enteric methane) and their manure. US farmers are currently experimenting with various methods to reduce emissions, such as adding probiotics to cattle feed and other natural additives to reduce enteric emissions. Glanbia is keen to encourage farmers to adopt emissions-reduction technologies as part of its overall objective to promote a sustainable dairy industry. The company is prioritizing sustainability across its business operations, and it has highlighted several examples of how it is currently doing this in the US.
One example of Glanbia’s sustainability efforts is how it can recover water from raw milk and reuse it. The surplus treated water from its Michigan plant is clean enough to be exported into the Great Lakes, while at its Gooding plant in Idaho, it uses the water that comes in from milk supplies, treats it, and then uses it to irrigate crops. “Those crops go into dairy cattle feed back on the farms and the process starts all over again,” Patten said.
Glanbia’s chief ESG officer is confident that they are making good progress towards their sustainability goals. The company knows “where we need to get to, and our focus now is on how we continue to navigate that journey in a way that makes sense for all stakeholders in the value chain,” he added. Glanbia’s efforts to promote a sustainable dairy industry are commendable, and it is hoped that other companies will follow suit in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In conclusion, Glanbia has taken a proactive step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by data-mapping its direct milk suppliers in the US. This will enable the group to identify the sources of their emissions and calculate their baseline emission factor. Glanbia is also tailoring this approach to each supplier and exploring how technology can help. The group has published an update on how it is working with suppliers and joint venture partners in the US to promote a sustainable dairy industry. The largest proportion of GHG emissions in its supply chain primarily comes from cows’ digestive process (enteric methane) and their manure. US farmers are currently experimenting with various methods to reduce emissions, such as adding probiotics to cattle feed and other natural additives to reduce enteric emissions. Glanbia is keen to encourage farmers to adopt emissions-reduction technologies as part of its overall objective to promote a sustainable dairy industry. The company is prioritizing sustainability across its business operations, and it has highlighted several examples of how it is currently doing this in the US.
