Ahold Delhaize USA, Danone North America and The Nature Conservancy Launch Sustainable Dairy Pilot

Key Takeaways:

• Ahold Delhaize USA, Danone North America, and The Nature Conservancy announced a joint pilot to reduce methane emissions from dairy production.
• The project will support selected dairy farms supplying Danone yogurt products sold by Ahold Delhaize USA brands.
• On-farm practices include manure separation, compost turners, irrigation efficiency, and improved resource management.
• The Nature Conservancy will provide technical support and governance, while third-party validation ensures accountability.
• The initiative is part of the company’s broader farmland-focused sustainability projects.

Ahold Delhaize USA Partners to Address Methane in Dairy Supply Chain

Ahold Delhaize USA, along with Danone North America and The Nature Conservancy, has announced a value chain collaboration aimed at enhancing resilience in dairy farming and reducing Scope 3 emissions. The project will begin this year and focus on reducing methane emissions linked to Danone yogurt products sold by Ahold Delhaize USA’s retail banners, including Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop.

Sustainable Practices on Dairy Farms

The initiative will help dairy farm partners adopt practices such as manure separation, compost turners, and irrigation efficiency tools. These measures are designed to improve resource management, reduce emissions, and support farm-level operational efficiency.

Role of The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy will contribute expertise in agricultural and ecological systems while providing technical assistance to farmers. Through its NatureVest team, the organization will also explore sustainable finance mechanisms to scale these solutions. Project outcomes will be validated by an independent third party.

Ahold Delhaize, Danone & The Nature Conservancy Leadership Perspectives

Kendrick Repko, VP, Health & Sustainability at Ahold Delhaize USA, said: “By focusing on the yogurt production supply chain, we complement our other partnerships in the regenerative agriculture space by continuing to explore practical, scalable methods to decrease emissions across the value chain, this time assessing methane reduction in dairy farming.”

Jessie Copeland, Head of Regenerative Agriculture at Danone North America, noted: “We understand the importance of collaborating with farmers and organizations like Ahold Delhaize USA and The Nature Conservancy who share our vision to drive change at scale.”

Alisha Staggs, Dairy Program Director at The Nature Conservancy, added: “By leading with science, centering farmers and smartly collaborating with aligned industry leaders, this project is poised to lead the dairy industry in making good on our promises to be part of the climate solution.”