Ajinomoto and Danone join forces to tackle GHG emissions from dairy using feed supplement
20 Sep 2024 --- Ajinomoto and Danone partner to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the milk supply chain using AjiPro-L, a lysine supplement for cow feed.
The GHG reduction method intends to be “highly cost-effective.” It delivers lysine, an essential amino acid, to cows’ digestive systems, where it is absorbed as a nutrient. The efforts are part of Danone’s “Partner for Growth” program.
“With partners like Ajinomoto, we are expanding our toolkit of solutions that we are bringing to our dairy farmers for a dual effect — on the one hand, reducing on-farm GHG emissions while, on the other, supporting farmers to improve their margin,” says Jean-Yves Krummenacher, chief procurement officer at Danone.
Lowering costs and emissions
The companies are working to reduce costs for farmers and a broad spectrum of GHG emissions from multiple sources.
“Leveraging our expertise in amino acids, we developed the AjiPro-L solution to help reduce feed costs and GHG emissions not only for our partners but for the entire dairy and beef industry,” says Sumio Maeda, executive officer, VP and general manager of Bio & Fine Chemicals Division at Ajinomoto.
AjiPro-L reduces the amount of high-protein, high-cost feed such as soybean meal — which contains excessive amino acids — in the diet while maintaining milk production.
According to the Japanese multinational food corporation, the ingredient reduces the carbon footprint — such as carbon dioxide generated during the cultivation and procurement — associated with procuring soybean meal as a protein source by approximately 20%. It also decreases nitrous oxide emissions from manure by approximately 25%.
Meanwhile, in-vitro studies have shown that amino acid-balanced feed with AjiPro-L and a methane reduction additive can “amplify” the effect of the methane reduction additive by approximately 30% and is “expected to contribute substantially” to reducing methane emissions from cows’ belches.
“We are committed to mitigating negative impacts and expanding positive ones through strategies in line with our purpose of contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with ‘AminoScience,’” highlights Maeda.
Memorandum of Understanding
Ajinomoto and Danone signed a Memorandum of Understanding and are working to introduce the supplement to Danone’s contracted farmers in Spain, Brazil and the US, alongside its “own farmers” in Egypt and Morocco. The companies will incorporate the solution into tools for quantifying GHG reductions.
Additionally, Tetra Pak released a sustainability report this week, calling attention to its global dairy processing task force, which has been formed as part of its initiative to reduce the dairy sector’s environmental footprint. The task force aims to assess and reduce GHG emissions in the company’s dairy processing and propagate green practices.
