NEWSLETTER
Nestlé to develop SA ’ s first net zero dairy farm
Business Report Online
Web Address : www . iol . co . za Reprinted From : https :// bit . ly / 37aBwho
Nestlé has launched the Skimmelkrans Net Zero Carbon Emissions Project , to create the company ’ s first carbon-neutral dairy farm .
The farm which will be located in George , South Africa and Nestlé has committed that by 2023 the dairy farm will be carbon net zero .
“ The Skimmelkrans project is a positive step in our sustainability journey . In the context of yesterday ’ s global announcement by our CEO , Mark Schneider around redoubling efforts to combat climate change , we have committed to reaching a waste-free and zero net emission future within Nestlé by 2050 , building on decades of work already done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions . The project will scale the quality production of our dairy products therefore enhancing our consumer experience ,” said Saint-Francis Tohlang , Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Director at Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region ( ESAR ).
The Skimmelkrans Net Zero Carbon Emissions Project forms part of the Nestlé ’ s broader sustainability platform called RE .
Through the RE platform , the company has committed to RETHINK , REDUCE AND REPURPOSE . These three pillars will come into play on the Skimmelkrans farm .
“ Net zero is achieved when emissions created by the farm are displaced by removing the same amount of emissions from the atmosphere . While there are many ways to create more sustainable operations for dairy farms , Skimmelkrans sets itself apart through the soil work , water conservation , feed management and manure processing , where some of the biggest reductions of greenhouse gases occur ,” stated Hoven Meyer , Agricultural Services Group Manager at Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region ( ESAR ).
Cow manure produces methane : one of the most harmful greenhouse gases . At Skimmelkrans , cow manure is collected while they graze and then goes into a press that separates the solids from the liquids .
This ensures that there is no moisture left in the finished product : the solids are released back into the soil as compost , and the liquids go back into the pastures as irrigation , meaning that less methane is released into the air . In April 2021 , the soil will be tested , screened , and analysed by soil experts and the results will determine how much closer the farm is to the net zero carbon emissions goal .
Skimmelkrans operates in a biodiverse ecosystem which results in better care and nutrition for the cows on the farm , as well as better nutrition in the milk products produced , giving consumers a safe , environmentally friendly product . Products that will benefit from these initiatives include Nestlé Milo , Nestlé Nespray and other milks .
Figure 1 : Nestlé announces the Skimmelkrans Net Zero Carbon Emissions Project , to create the company ’ s first carbon-neutral dairy farm .
47 Grassroots Vol 20 No 4 December 2020