How dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health turns farm-level decarbonization into business value

dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health recently launched its Sustell Carbon Value Program, which enables companies to affordably decarbonize their value chains, meet sustainability targets, and comply with reporting requirements. The sustainability tool targets stakeholders who want to build strong and more efficient food systems while scaling their own carbon reductions.

The agri-food space — including retailers, CPGs, ingredient companies, and foodservice firms — is under increasing pressure to reduce GHG emissions to meet sustainability targets. 

Consumers expect stronger commitments from companies and brands to reduce emissions and decarbonize value chains, as farming accounts for a large proportion of the environmental footprint of food and beverage products. 

dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health says its new platform has been designed with this in mind. The Sustell Carbon Value Program covers the full set of requirements to reduce carbon footprints, including ISO (International Organization for Standardisation)-assured footprint measurement via the Sustell life cycle assessment platform, the prerequisite protocols to credibly transfer emission reductions across the value chain, and expertise on animal nutrition and sustainability to deliver impact from farm-to-fork.

In conversation with Food Ingredients First, Heinz Flatnitzer, global head of Emissions Value Management at dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition and Health, takes an in-depth look at the company’s “breakthrough solution.”

What is the main goal of the SustelI Carbon Value Program?

Flatnitzer: When we look at the agri-food value chain, we see tremendous potential to reduce carbon footprints at low cost, or even at a profit, while meeting sustainability targets and complying with reporting requirements. The main goal of our program is to enable this transformation by helping businesses scale carbon reductions with transparency, credibility, and measurable returns. We’re fostering farm-to-fork collaboration for verified emission footprints and financial value. This should be achieved through credible measurement using our SustelI platform and efficiency gains through performance and nutritional solutions.

Which part of the food value chain does the program focus on to reduce carbon emissions?

Flatnitzer: Our program is a collaborative initiative that connects the entire agri-food industry — from retail to feed mills — to drive scalable and affordable progress toward sustainability targets. We’re focusing on nutritional solutions to unlock farm-level efficiencies and driving up to 10% CO2e reductions across species. The data shows us that upstream interventions have the biggest potential for change, particularly when we look at on-farm operations, as farming accounts for the largest share of food’s environmental footprint. The program connects feed millers, farmers, processors, and retailers to implement interventions that reduce Scope 3 emissions across the entire value chain.

How does the program help companies benefit financially from reducing emissions?

Flatnitzer: What we’re doing is turning sustainability into a growth lever rather than a cost, enabling companies to monetize verified carbon footprints and reductions. The program provides positive ROI to farmers through improved feed efficiency and animal health, and supports legitimate transfer of reduced footprints for Scope 3 reporting and eco-labeling. Companies that work to understand and reduce their environmental footprint can benefit in several ways. The businesses that buy from them may help cover some of the costs of becoming greener at the lowest possible cost, banks may offer better deals because their financed emissions are reduced, and customers are often more eager to buy from companies that genuinely care about the planet.

Who is the target audience for the Sustell Carbon Value Program?

Flatnitzer: We’re targeting agri-food companies across the entire value chain, including farmers, feed producers, processors, retailers, CPGs, and foodservice providers who are seeking to meet sustainability commitments and achieve their Scope 3 targets — essentially, any company in the agri-food space that’s serious about reducing its environmental footprint and using that as a lever for profitability.

Companies and brands are making robust commitments to reduce emissions in value chains, as farming accounts for a large proportion of the environmental footprint of F&B products. 

What role does animal nutrition play in the program’s sustainability strategy?

Flatnitzer: Advanced nutritional solutions are the core intervention in our sustainability strategy to improve efficiency. We’re optimizing animal health and feed conversion to reduce emissions from livestock. These strategies lead to lower input requirements for higher output, which generates higher profits for farmers while providing cost-effective Scope 3 reductions for retailers. What’s particularly compelling is that these solutions are scientifically proven and deliver both environmental and economic benefits simultaneously.

What platform does Sustell use to measure carbon footprints in a standardized way?

Flatnitzer: We use the Sustell Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) platform, which is ISO assured under ISO 14040/14044 standards and aligned with both the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Partnership for Carbon Transparency frameworks. The platform uses farm-level data and recognized databases like Global Feed LCA Institute and agri-footprint for credible, audit-ready footprints. Working with our verification partners, including Bureau Veritas, Sustain-Cert, and F&S in Latin America, we help our customers ensure that their data is credible and traceable, with emissions calculated following major accepted standards.

Why is collaboration across the value chain important for achieving sustainability targets?

Flatnitzer: The numbers tell the story here, and the biggest impact of a retailer’s animal protein product at the shelf level is generated on-farm, often ranging between 50% and 80%. This means retailers and CPGs simply cannot achieve their Scope 3 targets, such as those required for the Science Based Targets initiative compliance, without involving their suppliers at the farm level. On the other hand, animal protein producers want fair compensation for their efforts to provide credible data and reduce emissions. Sustainability challenges are systemic and interdependent, requiring shared responsibility and collective action. Collaboration ensures data transparency, risk mitigation, and innovation, enabling measurable progress toward Scope 3 targets.

How might widespread adoption of the Sustell Carbon Value Program change the way food companies measure and report emissions?

Flatnitzer: We’re seeing high interest from reputable players along the entire value chain, and this program has the potential to become one of the, if not the, standard approaches in the future, thanks to its credibility, scalability, and affordability. It could make ISO-certified, farm-level LCA the industry standard, replacing generic estimates or expensive one-time reports with primary data, credible reduction protocols, and results at the push of a button. We expect to see greater traceability, standardised Scope 3 reporting, and integration of sustainability into procurement and finance decisions, which in turn will begin driving systemic change across the food sector. The first-movers who are turning sustainability into business value today will be the leading companies in the next decade.