The world’s biggest chocolate maker partners with a dairy giant to target Scope 3 emissions — starting with skimmed milk powder.
Barry Callebaut Group has joined forces with Arla Foods to cut carbon emissions in a three-year collaboration to decarbonise its dairy supply chain, starting with the skimmed milk powder (SMP) it sources from Arla, DairyReporter reports.
Cutting carbon emissions
Arla will provide Barry Callebaut with annual primary carbon-footprint data linked to the volumes of dairy it supplies, helping the chocolate maker track and reduce emissions across its dairy supply chain and fast-track its Scope 3 (value-chain) reductions.
«Decarbonising dairy is essential to reducing our carbon footprint», says Tilmann Silber, head of net zero at Barry Callebaut, calling it «a testament to our commitment» on the Net Zero journey.
The move supports its broader Net Zero Chocolate Solutions offering.
Why dairy is hard to decarbonise — and how it works
Dairy is one of the hardest categories to decarbonise, as emissions are embedded throughout the chain — feed production, enteric methane, manure management, on-farm energy and milk transport and processing.
Farm-level data is critical, giving a more accurate picture than industry averages and helping identify hotspots.
«We are pleased to work closely together with Barry Callebaut on our shared goal to reduce emissions from dairy», says Cathrine Konge Varming, senior director of sustainability innovation and development at Arla.
No specific target was disclosed.
Under the deal, farmers are incentivised to adopt practices such as improved feed efficiency, better manure management and more renewable energy, building on Arla’s existing farmer-incentive programme.
Key principles: primary farm-level carbon reporting; alignment with recognised GHG and dairy-carbon methodologies; and incentive payments for emissions-reducing practices.
The model could set a precedent for the wider food industry as demand grows for primary supplier data over industry averages; beyond dairy, Barry Callebaut can also cut Scope 3 emissions in cocoa cultivation and logistics.
Source: DairyReporter
