Radical Carbon Reduction
Our mission is about more than offsetting our carbon footprint. We want to eliminate it, entirely.
We help farmers and ranchers reduce their carbon footprint by investing in, managing, and measuring the effectiveness of climate smart agricultural practices. Our farmer partners are more than dairy providers, they are carbon reduction pioneers. In partnership with our head scientist at Neutral, dairy farmers are trying a variety of strategies to effectively reduce their farm’s carbon footprint. Read on for information on some of those projects.
Measure
We obsessively measure - from field to fridge and beyond - the entire carbon footprint of our products.
Reduce
We partner with farmers to realize new emissions reduction projects on their farms that radically reduce the carbon intensity of milk.
Offset
What we can’t eliminate, we offset with verified carbon credits from U.S. dairy farmers that are turning cow poop into clean energy.
Feed Supplement: Reducing Methane Emissions from Enteric Fermentation
Project Status: In cows’ feed and monitoring is underway
Feed supplements that can reduce enteric methane emissions are a major area of research—and are showing huge potential. Supplements made from asparagopsis taxiformis, a red seaweed, have shown reductions in enteric methane of 90+%. We’re collaborating with Symbrosia to evaluate their product, SeaGraze™, in grazing management systems.
Other supplements derived from essential oils are available now, such as Agolin® Ruminant, one of the first feed supplements to be used to generate carbon credits in the U.S. Studies have shown that Agolin® can reduce enteric methane emissions by about 8%. Though it’s a relatively modest reduction, enteric methane emissions are a significant source of on-farm emissions, and every bit counts!
Research also shows that Agolin® increased feed conversion, meaning for the same amount of food a cow consumes, there is increased productivity. That means in dairy cows, more milk! We’re working with organic and conventional farms throughout our supply chain to add Agolin® to their feed mixture. It’s an easy way for farmers to quickly reduce the emissions on their farm!
Manure Management: Liquid and Solid Manure Separation
Project Status: New equipment installed and measuring is underway
How cow waste is managed on a farm can entirely change the greenhouses gases that are emitted from it. When it decomposes anaerobically—without oxygen— it releases methane. When manure decomposes aerobically—with oxygen—it emits fewer potent greenhouse gases such as methane and shifts the balance to more carbon dioxide. While both gases aren’t great for the atmosphere, methane has a much higher warming potential, expediting climate change.
Scientific studies suggest that manure solid-liquid separation, storage, and aerobic composting strategies will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms. Neutral is working with multiple family-owned dairies in Washington and Oregon to design, install, and operate new manure management solutions.
Low-Carbon Ration: Sainfoin Hay
Project Status: Fields planted with Sainfoin as an alternative to alfalfa
Sainfoin hay is a climate-friendly alternative to alfalfa hay. As a perennial legume, it plays a critical role in nutrient management and soil health. Farmers can reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to support growth as legumes naturally fix nitrogen in the soil. It requires less water than alfalfa and continues to be productive during hot, dry summer months. It’s an early bloomer, providing critical food and habitat to important pollinators, like bees. And it also contains tannins that naturally decrease methane emissions that occur from enteric fermentation. With guidance from experts at Oregon State, we’re working with producers to implement this special feed crop!
Methane-Busting Ration: Tannins in Forage
Project Status: Pastures refurbished with tannin-optimized forage
Forage is the collective mixture of natural grass and wildflowers found in cow feed. Increased compounds called tannins naturally reduce the methane produced during digestion, a process called enteric fermentation. That’s right, that mouth-puckering feeling you get when biting into unripe fruit or drinking certain wines can also play a role in the reduction of greenhouse gases.
Neutral has partnered with family-owned dairies in the Pacific Northwest to identify forage modifications that cows will love to eat, while also reducing their greenhouse gas output. With guidance from experts at Oregon State, Penn State & Utah State we’ve tailored an optimal forage composition containing tannins. In addition to reducing a cow’s carbon emissions, a diet with the right amount of tannin-condensed species, such as sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil and some clovers, has also been shown to improve animal health and productivity.
Sequestration: Plant (and Protect) Vegetation to Increase Carbon Stores
Project Status: Farm evaluation underway
Plants are experts at locking up carbon! Plants absorb the energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, transforming it into carbon-storing biomass. Carbon is stored in plants in many ways – from the fruit we love to eat, to the leaves and stems, and underground in their roots. Peer-reviewed scientific studies show that through reforestation and improving forest management we can increase carbon stored above ground in the plants and below ground in the roots and soil. Planting trees in areas near water, known as riparian zones, is particularly beneficial at preventing soil erosion, protecting soil carbon, and improving water quality in critical watersheds.
Protecting existing stores of carbon, like those in grasslands and forests, is equally important! Diverse pastures and grasslands store large amounts of carbon that could be lost due to conversion to cropland or development. Protecting these biodiverse environments is a great way to protect carbon. In collaboration with our farm partners, we’re evaluating an assortment of vegetation and cover methods to effectively remove greenhouse gases and protect soil carbon.
Farm Electrification: Switching from Diesel-guzzling to Low-carbon Electricity
Project Status: Farm evaluation underway
From on-farm equipment like tractors and feed mixers, to off-farm processing, manufacturing and transportation, equipment that uses diesel and other fossil fuels are sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Some fuels release more carbon and pollution than others, like diesel. Switching to better types of fuel is one way to reduce emissions on-farm and along the supply chain. Reducing diesel consumption also has a positive impact on local air quality, particularly impacting farm operators.
The best way to reduce emissions is to switch to electric-powered equipment, and dramatically reduce on-farm fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. This has an especially important climate benefit in regions that have green energy grids, with the majority of energy coming from wind, solar and hydropower. With our producers in the Pacific Northwest, a region that depends largely on hydropower, it’s a big win for the climate!
