The German retailer Edeka has started a new phase in a large-scale climate project within the dairy farming sector. Together with four dairy processors, including A-ware, work is underway on a standardized system to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the chain.
Central to the project is the development of a uniform method for data collection and emission calculation, based on the guidelines of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). With this, the parties involved aim to make emissions more comparable and transparent, a step that is often lacking in the sector to date, it is stated.
It is striking that the initiative explicitly focuses on the regular milk stream and not on niche or premium concepts. In doing so, the parties are opting for a broad rollout. Dairy farmers are actively involved through the dairy processors, including through training and field tests.
In the current phase, the emphasis is on developing and testing measures, considering not only the climate impact but also economic feasibility and practical applicability. From 2027, the focus must shift to broad implementation within the chain, particularly of measures that yield large-scale emission reductions.
With the participation of parties from various regions and business structures, Edeka aims to develop a model that is widely applicable within the German dairy sector. Leuphana University Lüneburg provides the scientific supervision.
The focus on standardization and scalability underscores a broader market trend: sustainability data is increasingly becoming a structural part of supply chain management, comparable to price and quality information.
The other dairy processors within the project are EMP Milchhof Prenzlau, NordseeMilch, and Molkerei Gropper.
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