- Tasmania’s largest milk processor, Fonterra, has partnered with startup SeaForest to run commercial trials of Asparagopsis taxiformis
- The first stage of the trial will focus on commercial viability and food safety tests
- The move to a commercial trial caps off a period of rapid development by the Sea Forest team
Tasmanian startup Sea Forest has partnered with major milk processor Fonterra to run a trial of its Asparagopsis taxiformis crop, also known as FutureFeed®.
Speaking about the initiative, Fonterra Australia Sustainability manager Jack Holden said that Fonterra has had awareness of climate change challenges for a long time, and this was one of a number of initiatives looking at how to reduce the impact of livestock herds on climate change.
“The end point here is that this is adopted by every farmer.”
Jack Holden, Fonterra Sustainability Manager
The first trial is at one farm and, if successful, will be rolled out rapidly to other farms.
“Methane emissions are the biggest part of our footprint. We have to play our part in finding solutions.”
Ultimately the aim for Fonterra is to bring this Reduce Emissions Feed Additive into normal dairy farm operating practices.
In addition to the trial of Aspargopsis, Fonterra is also looking at other means of reducing the methane emissions from cows. One trial, based at Fonterra’s Palmerston North Research and Development Centre in New Zealand, aims to create new fermentation cultures called ‘Kowbucha’ to reduce or eliminate the bacteria that produce methane.
Full text of the conversation can be found here.
Photo by Jakob Cotton on Unsplash