Making A Bigger Impact With A Smaller Carbon Footprint

Making A Bigger Impact With A Smaller Carbon Footprint

Last year, Clover Sonoma joined the Dairy Methane Action Alliance (DMAA) to drive accountability, transparency, and bold climate action within the dairy industry. Leading the way as the first regional dairy company to join the DMAA, we reinforced our dedication to ensuring that nourishing our communities aligns with protecting our planet.

Sustainability is a cornerstone of how we do business–and our legacy is a testament to that commitment. From managing the largest organic acreage of regeneratively farmed land in California to pioneering the first-ever on-farm use of the methane-reducing seaweed-based feed supplement Brominata–every step we take is focused on setting a high standard for what sustainable dairy can and should be.

As leaders in sustainable dairy, we’re not just talking about a better future–we’re building it. As members of the DMAA, we have committed to disclosing our annual methane emissions data, holding ourselves accountable and encouraging our industry partners to do the same.

While Clover’s family farm partners have been making methane reducing improvements for years, we are also proud to commit to reducing our dairy methane emissions intensity by 10% over three years, which will eliminate approximately 350 metric tons of methane from the food system annually. This ambitious goal will be achieved through an innovative, multi-faceted approach to nutrition and manure management, enabling farmers to reduce methane emissions, maximize the benefits of manure, and lower dairy operations costs.

Why Focus on Dairy Methane Emissions? 

Methane makes up 40% of our total scope 3 emissions which is why we are interested in measuring and reducing those levels. Currently, we produce 3,786 mt methane gas produced annually with 84% from cow burps, 15% from manure, and 1% from feed & pasture.

That equates to roughly 0.03 kg of methane per kg of milk. Our goal is to reduce that by 10% or more by implementing a variety of sustainability projects in partnership with our dairy farm partners. 

Our journey has been generations in the making, with many more strides to go, but our promise remains clear: to provide nutritious, delicious dairy products that honor the well-being of the animals, our community, and the planet.

Here is a breakdown of our 2023 emissions across different segments of our business. This baseline data offers a roadmap for continuous improvement and future opportunities to lower our environmental impact.