Fonterra and Nestlé share progress on pilot net zero farm
The Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm in Taranaki has completed its third season, making progress towards its ambition to become New Zealand’s first commercially viable net zero dairy farm.
The farm is one of a number of projects within the Co-operative’s strategic partnership with Nestlé, which includes new customer incentives on offer this season - designed to help farmers reduce emissions intensity. View the 2024/25 season results infographic below.
Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm Results 2024/25
Run in partnership with Dairy Trust Taranaki, the 250-hectare farm is trialling different tools and approaches to reduce emissions to net zero over ten years while remaining profitable.
Since its first season in 2021/22, the farm has reduced its emissions intensity by 9.5% and absolute emissions by 23.5%.
In the 2024/25 season, an increase to twice a day milking and a reduction in imported feeds with high emissions helped cut the farm’s emissions intensity by 4.5% compared to the previous season.
The new milking schedule resulted in a 9.5% increase in milk production per hectare, contributing to a 4% rise in absolute emissions from the previous season.
The farms’ efficient breeding programme is expected to help reduce both emissions intensity and absolute emissions over time by enabling the farm to produce a similar amount of milk but with fewer cows.
These insights will help farmers decide which emission reduction solutions are most appropriate for their own farms and in turn help make progress towards the Co-op’s targets.
Fonterra Director of Sustainability Charlotte Rutherford says lowing emissions is important but so too is keeping an eye on the bottom line.
“We’re trying to understand what’s practical or scalable for farmers to adopt, which means striking a balance between emissions reductions and profitability.
“We expect results will fluctuate as we work towards the net zero ambition and learn what does and doesn’t work. These insights will help farmers decide which emission reduction solutions are most appropriate for their own farms and in turn help make progress towards the Co-op’s targets.”
Nestlé New Zealand CEO, Susan Catania, says the learnings continue to be promising.
“The progress at the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm is a powerful demonstration of our shared ambition with Fonterra to create a net zero future. We are encouraged by the continued results that innovative tools and practices are delivering.
“By working together, we continue to gain valuable insights that will inform broader efforts to reduce emissions and support farmers on their journey to a more sustainable future.”
This season the farm will scale up its use of EcoPond, following a successful trial which reduced effluent methane by around 97% in the farm’s test unit. Full pond dosing has begun and is expected to reduce the farm’s emissions footprint by up to 5%.
The Co-op is also piloting EcoPond’s new mobile dosing truck with around 200 farmers in Waikato and Southland.
Almost 4,500 native trees were planted on the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm last season to improve carbon sequestration and water quality. This season, the farm will begin a biochar (carbon-rich biomass) trial to look at its impact on increasing soil carbon and carbon sequestration.
Meanwhile, a calf-rearing trial is examining how different calf feeding systems affect growth, labour and long-term performance to help improve emissions per kilogram of milk solids.