In a significant move towards enhancing sustainability in agriculture, biotech giant Bayer has joined forces with dsm-firmenich, an agricultural nutrition company. The partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding, aims to leverage Bayer’s Sustell software to help farmers track and improve the environmental footprint of their livestock operations.
The Sustell platform is designed to enable farmers to collect and analyze data on their operations, facilitating accurate lifecycle assessments for poultry, swine, ruminants, and aquaculture. This capability is increasingly important as jurisdictions around the world implement regulations requiring the reporting of livestock’s harmful carbon emissions. To meet these requirements, Bayer has ensured that Sustell adheres to a comprehensive range of international standards, including ISO 14040, ISO 14067, Emission Trading Systems in Agriculture, and the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Green Claims Directive.
Lionnel Alexandre, Bayer’s head of ecosystem services for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. “We are thrilled about this strategic partnership,” he said. “The ability to accurately measure, valorize, and recognize the real efforts made by farmers is a critical milestone toward long-term, viable, and regenerative agriculture. Extending these capabilities across the animal protein value chain is a powerful step forward for the entire ecosystem.”
The partnership comes at a crucial time, as livestock farming contributes significantly to carbon pollution, accounting for roughly 10% of U.S. emissions. The environmental impact of livestock farming is not only a concern for the planet but also for the farmers themselves. Increasing atmospheric pollution exacerbates destructive weather patterns such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and storms, which in turn affect agricultural productivity and food prices.
David Nickell, VP of sustainability and business solutions at dsm-firmenich, highlighted the benefits of the collaboration. “This collaboration will benefit companies along the value chain, allowing them to gain more accurate insights into the sustainability of their animal protein supply chains while unlocking significant value opportunities,” he said.
The partnership between Bayer and dsm-firmenich represents a step forward in the fight against climate change, demonstrating how large-scale brands and individual actions can work together to mitigate the negative consequences of livestock farming. By providing farmers with the tools to track and improve their environmental footprint, the partnership aims to promote long-term, viable, and regenerative agriculture.