Fonterra’s Drive To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Is Not Only For New Zealand’s Climate Goals But To Keep Its Global Customers Happy

Fonterra’s drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is not only for New Zealand’s climate goals but to keep its global customers happy. Speaking at the E Tipu IFAMA 2023 World Conference in Christchurch Fonterra’s chief science and technology officer Jeremy Hill says dairy farming’s methane emissions are a difficult problem to solve and the big Co-op is looking at solutions that are good for the cow, good for the milk, good for the farmer and good for the planet – and at scale. Fonterra has considered synthetic methane inhibitors, seaweed, probiotics like Kowbucha, effluent management, vaccines and breeding. Jeremy Hill says if we can modify the development of the animal including the digestive system, we may be able to get lasting reductions in emissions which would fit well with NZ’s farming systems.