Fonterra has a climate roadmap that includes verified SBTi targets. The actions Fonterra and its farmer shareholders will take to achieve these targets will include reducing methane.
When looking at potential solutions to mitigate methane, there are a number of factors we take into consideration, they must not compromise animal well-being and milk quality and they must be practical and scalable for pasture-based farming.
Fonterra will be guided by a science-based approach to assessing potential climate solutions.
Bovaer
We’ve been getting some questions about the methane inhibitor Bovaer recently and we wanted to share with you some of the answers to those questions:
Is Bovaer used in any of your products?
New Zealand sourced milk
Bovaer has not been approved for general use in New Zealand and it is not used by our farmer shareholders. We can confirm the cows supplying milk to Fonterra in New Zealand have not consumed Bovaer. This milk is used in the following brands:
- Mainland*
- Anchor**
- Kāpiti
- De Winkel
- Fresh n Fruity
- Mammoth
- Primo
- Galaxy*
- Anlene
- Anmum
- Fernleaf
Australian sourced milk
While Australia is among the more than 60 countries where Bovaer has regulatory approval, Dairy Australia has confirmed that currently, there are no known instances of Bovaer being used on Australian dairy farms. Therefore, we are confident cows supplying Fonterra milk used in the following brands have not consumed Bovaer.
- Perfect Italiano
- Western Star
- Bega Cheese
- Duck River
- Australian Dairies
Is Bovaer safe?
- Please refer to DSM for information on Bovaer.
Why did you partner with DSM to trial Bovaer?
- DSM and Fonterra were involved in Bovaer trials in New Zealand’s pasture-based farming system, but these concluded several years ago.
- The way Bovaer works means it is not likely to give great benefits in NZ pastoral systems. This is because ideally it needs to remain present in the rumen at all times, this is not possible with the way cows are provided supplementary feed in the NZ pastoral based system (i.e. when cows come into the shed for milking).
- We have a climate roadmap that includes validated near term SBTi targets. We are taking actions to achieve these targets, and we expect that the use of novel technologies will support our farmers to reduce methane.
Will you look to use this product or similar in the future?
- When looking at future solutions to mitigate methane, there are a number of factors we take into consideration. Solutions must not compromise animal well-being and milk quality and they must be practical and scalable for pasture-based farming.
- If a solution achieves these criteria, farmers may choose to use it.
- Fonterra will be guided by a science-based approach to assessing potential climate solutions.
What happened to the milk used in the trial with DSM?
- All milk used in the trial was disposed of and did not enter our supply chain.
What about Rumin8, are you using it?
- Rumin8 is an Australian-based company focused on developing synthetic methane-reducing feed additives derived from bioactive compounds found in nature. The product is still in its research and development phase and has not yet been approved for use by New Zealand or Australian regulators.
*We source some of our feta from Denmark where, from 2025, farmers with over fifty cows will be mandated to use feed additives that reduce methane for at least 80 days of the year.
**Excludes dairy produced by Arla under licence for the Anchor brand in Europe.