Tesco launches Bovaer trial to cut dairy emissions

UK – Leading UK retailer Tesco has initiated a trial of a methane-reducing feed supplement, aiming to lessen the environmental impact of dairy production. 

Grosvenor Farms, a member of the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) that aims to become a carbon net-zero milk producer by 2030, is testing the feed additive Bovaer, produced by dsm-firmenich, on 400 cows over four months.

The farm produces over 32 million liters of fresh milk annually and supplies both Tesco and Muller. It also grows around 45,000 tons of forage for animal feed and 4,500 tons of grains and oilseeds.

According to Tesco, incorporating Bovaer into the cows’ diet can reduce each animal’s carbon footprint by approximately 1.3 tons of CO2 equivalent annually. 

Bovaer is supplied by dsm-firmenich and has been shown to reduce methane emissions by up to 30%. 

The supplement works by suppressing the enzymes responsible for producing methane, reducing the amount of methane produced as the cow digests its food without impacting animal welfare.

If successful, the trial could lead to a 12% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at Grosvenor Farms and potentially wider adoption of Bovaer across the TSDG network.

Now in its 17th year, the TSDG network comprises over 400 British dairy farmers. They are compensated based on a cost-of-production+ model for the fresh milk they supply to Tesco, ensuring a fair price for every pint of milk.

“We see commercial and environmental sustainability as mutually reinforcing, producing high-quality milk while also working to improve soil health, eliminate pollution, and recycle waste,” Mark Roach, managing director of Grosvenor Farms said .

The trial at Tesco follows other UK retailers’ initiatives targeting GHG emissions. Morrisons, for instance, collaborates with Sea Forest and Myton Food Group to supply beef cows with a seaweed-derived methane-abating feed ingredient. If approved, products could appear on Morrisons’ shelves by 2026. 

Additionally, Marks & Spencer launched a £1 (approximately US$ 1.089) million fund in April to change the diet of cows within its milk pool to mitigate methane emissions. 

Dennis Rijnders, regional commercial director at dsm-firmenich, said the supplier is working with M&S in this collective effort to combat climate change.