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Climate Love
Climate Review Score ranking:
Neutral
41 w
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To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, every bit of knowledge and transparency helps. Whether a corporation tracking the climate impact of its supply chain or a consumer making a more climate-friendly purchase, even the smallest shreds of information can lead to better choices. In recent months, several large food brands have started to share the carbon footprint of their products. This new trend toward climate disclosures and transparency could have a huge collective impact, giving millions of consumers an opportunity to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by simply selecting a different brand of, say, milk or yogurt. Some 48% of U.S. consumers said they would make such a change if it reduced their climate impact, according to the Sustainable Market Share Index developed by the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. Of course, a single customer’s decision doesn’t solve a complex global crisis, but, as legitimate emissions labeling and transparency expand to more companies and more products, millions of informed purchasing decisions would have a tremendous effect. It’s a remarkable example of how we might integrate more everyday decisions into a collective environmental effort. Consider, for example, the aggregate effect this could have on milk and dairy production worldwide. The global agriculture and food system accounts for roughly 37% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and dairy production accounts for a significant portion of this number. Some consumers have sought to reduce their own impact with plant-based alternatives, but more than 90% of U.S. households still use real dairy products made from cows’ milk. Plant-based alternatives can be a solution for some consumers, but in order to have even more impact we need to meet consumers where the vast majority of them are and provide them an option to help reduce their impact today. What if all those consumers could, with a quick glance, select dairy brands that did more to reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions? Now more than ever, we can accurately measure and monitor emissions across the entire dairy production process – from fertilizers to cows and their burps, to the consumer’s own trash can. Companies can measure every last step, finding where they can improve and transparently communicating their efforts with customers. Neutral Foods, the first carbon neutral food company in the country, has been transparent about our carbon impact since day one. We’re out to prove this is possible every day with every product we offer. One way we do that is by working with farmers to introduce hay species that contain more tannins, a small amount of which can reduce up to 10 percent of the methane emissions from bovine belching. We also measure and separate manure to isolate the parts of solid waste that produce more methane as they decompose, and then compost those for use as fertilizer. As a key part of our commitment to consumers, all of Neutral’s products have been carbon-neutral since our inception. Right now, not at some date way out in the future. So we’ve already begun the work to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions in our supply sheds and will continually reduce our climate impact by increasing our carbon insetting in the years that follow. In addition to our emissions reduction projects, we’ll also continue to use carbon credits within the dairy industry to ensure that both the production and the consumption of all our products are carbon neutral as they have been since our inception. Of course, this may not be immediately realistic for every brand in the dairy case, and we know Neutral doesn’t carry the same market share as the country’s largest milk producers. But that’s precisely why we’re excited about these labels and increased transparency by more and more companies: no matter which brand consumers choose, they can consider climate impact alongside price and preference. The market still has a long way to go before enough products follow our lead. These steps are voluntary, and there’s no consensus on what information to provide and how. We’ll need standards for clear labeling and auditing, so consumers can make apples-to-apples comparisons. If we do that, and if more companies are compelled to go along, grocers will start to dedicate entire aisles to carbon-neutral products, and all those individual consumer choices become better informed. Then it’s not just Neutral and a handful of other companies eliminating greenhouse gas emissions - it’s millions of consumers, too.
Neutral
15 w
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Neutral Foods has unveiled a new look for its organic whole and 2% milk cartons. Neutral’s unique cartons double as a canvas for educating consumers about the brand's commitment to carbon neutrality: from "grass to glass." Jill Visit, Executive Creative Director at Neutral, shared why communicating this to customers is vital: "Neutral has a story that most people haven't heard before, so it can be a challenge to explain quickly and succinctly on a carton. We want consumers to know Neutral supports greenhouse gas reductions on farms in a way that conveys our sense of climate optimism and hopefulness – a core tenet of our brand." The new packaging illustrates Neutral's collaborative work with farmers and highlights its meticulous approach to measuring and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. The redesign emphasizes Neutral's core values: 1. Caring for Animals, People, and the Planet: The packaging communicates Neutral's dedication emphasizing the well-being of animals, supporting local farmers, and contributing to the overall health of the planet. 2. Measuring and Offsetting Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Neutral takes responsibility for every stage of our milk's life cycle, from farm to fridge. 3. Collaborating with Farmers: Neutral actively works with farmers, encouraging and adopting practices that reduce dairy's greenhouse gas emissions, to help ensure a sustainable future for agriculture. 4. Renewable Energy from Dairy Cows: Neutral’s packaging declares that what can't be reduced is offset with renewable energy, demonstrating a closed-loop, sustainable system. 5. Pouring Love, Intention, and Impact into Every Carton: Neutral’s commitment to quality, flavor, and environmental impact lets consumers know that Neutral is a conscious and impactful decision. Marcus Lovell Smith, CEO of Neutral Foods, highlighted the evolution of the packaging to align with its growth: "Our new carton design makes it even easier for consumers to find climate-smart products that help reduce their carbon footprints. We love to enthusiastically point out that we have a product that checks all the boxes that consumers demand, including taste, quality, organic, pasture-raised, and the added peace of mind that our milk is completely carbon neutral today, not decades from now." An underestimated contributor to carbon emissions Big Dairy as an industry often slips under the greenhouse gas emission radar, when compared to other, more obvious industries, such as transportation, construction, and, of course, big oil. In the U.S. alone, 2% of all the emissions produced come from the dairy industry alone, which is the equivalent of roughly 126,800,000 metric tons of carbon, and has “a considerable effect on climate change due to emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide,” according to the WWF. Packaging that covers a lot Neutral collaborated with Faven, a woman-led agency based in Colorado. The agency incorporated category-norm elements, such as the iconic cow, and optimized Neutral’s brand ethos. Jill Visit sheds light on the design choices, stating, "We knew from the start that we wanted to keep our signature yellow in some form or fashion, and that we wanted to stand out from the herd (couldn’t resist). Other than that, we wanted to include enough cues to let people know right away that this was organic dairy milk, and we wanted it to be playful and approachable. We think Faven did an amazing job bringing that brief to life." As the first carbon neutral food company in the United States, Neutral is on a mission to radically reduce global emissions produced by agriculture and the food system. Neutral’s vision extends beyond just offering organic and conventional carbon neutral dairy solutions; it represents a tangible and consumer friendly step towards building a more sustainable and environmentally conscious food system. "My hope is that people will see that this is a milk that's the highest quality – organic, pasture-raised – that ALSO helps save the planet,” said Visit. Check out Neutral’s packaging here: https://www.eatneutral.com/
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9 w
This is an impressive move by Neutral!
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15 w
Being clear and transparent about how you reach your climate goals is imperative to get people to trust your climate action. I can't help but compare to @Arla who also updated their cartons in Sweden to state that their milk was net zero. Their methods weren't terrible if you took the time to read through their sustainability report, but they didn't communicate how they did it and thereby lost the trust of their customers. I look forward to hearing about the response from your customers to this new packaging!
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15 w
I encourage Neutral to continue their transparent communication and educational efforts.
Neutral
25 w
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Just last month, Neutral was right at the heart of a whirlwind of Climate Week NYC. Our team, including Jim Jarman, VP of Product & Sustainability, and Lauren Brown, Senior Program Manager for Carbon Reduction Data & Analytics, were on the ground with our CEO, Marcus Lovell Smith, and Corey Blumenthal, the sustainability specialist at Shake Shack, one of Neutral’s foodservice partners. Here are our team’s top five takeaways from what they heard and discussed at Climate Week: 1. Elevated Discussions: A Demand for Focus and Credibility Climate Week NYC witnessed a notable transformation in the character of sustainability discussions. The conversations are increasingly sophisticated, placing heightened demands on companies requiring more focus and attention to maintain credibility in this dynamic space. 2. The Bright Side: Informed and Engaged Audiences A remarkable aspect was the engaged and well-informed audience, particularly in events focusing on net-zero supply chains and reducing scope 3 emissions. The engagement suggests a growing commitment from individuals and organizations to invest and address sustainability issues actively. 3. Confronting Complexity: Navigating Commitment Challenges Many companies are grappling with the vast scale and complexity of their sustainability commitments. Some appear hesitant to fulfill their commitments out of the fear of falling short and complexities tied to finances and logistics and seem to be reconsidering their sustainability commitments altogether. Others are seen to be embracing the mounting external pressure and are actively embracing sweeping changes throughout their supply chain. 4. Transparency Matters: Now more than ever There is an increased demand and expectation for transparency, specifically for science-driven and data-verified practices. Clear communication of sustainability practices is being called for to combat greenwashing and decision fatigue. 5. Collaborative Solutions: Unlocking Sustainability Challenges Climate Week served as a testament to the power of partnerships in tackling the intricate issues surrounding sustainability and climate solutions. Collaboration can help tackle the complexities of sustainability solutions and accelerate the transitions across the value chain.
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25 w
It is encouraging to see that discussions are becoming more sophisticated, demanding companies to focus and maintain credibility in this dynamic space.
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25 w
These insights from Climate Week offer valuable perspectives on the global efforts to combat climate change. 💚Kudos to the organizers.
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25 w
The climate week was successful and a lot of promises were made, action time is now.
Neutral
27 w
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Every year, Climate Week NYC serves as a global stage where innovators from the private and public sectors converge to discuss viable solutions for the climate crisis. This year, our CEO, Marcus Lovell Smith, and Corey Blumenthal, the sustainability specialist at the restaurant chain, Shake Shack, shared their insights on the collaborative efforts that inspire sustainable choices and drive change — one milkshake at a time. Moo-ves That Matter: Defying Dairy Emissions Dairy farming is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. Addressing this issue head-on, Marcus Lovell Smith, CEO of Neutral, pointed out: "Dairy farming has a very significant climate footprint, and we also know that 90-plus percent of American households still have milk in their refrigerator. That's why we need to start there. We need to start on dairy farms, which is where the major impact is happening from beef and dairy." Neutral has worked closely with farmers to slash emissions on dairy farms and beef ranches. "We are in, I think it’s over 2000, 3000 retailers, but the most recent thing that we're extremely excited about is tying up with great restaurant groups like Shake Shack and offering a carbon-neutral product to them,” said Marcus. Corey Blumenthal, Shake Shack's Sustainability Specialist, shared this enthusiasm: "At Shake Shack, we sell milkshakes, and we sell a lot of them. So what got us thinking is that we were able to find sustainable alternatives to conventional dairy milk that didn't compromise on taste or quality. We could make a big difference.” A Sip of Sustainability: A Speedy Collaboration The collaboration between Neutral and Shake Shack is a testament to swift action. "It took less than two months from that first conversation to have carbon-neutral milk in the first of the Shake Shacks up in the Pacific Northwest, and slowly, we're growing from there. That's incredibly impressive," shared Marcus. Corey echoed this sentiment: "It was a seamless transition. We are focused on improving our environmental impact, looking for suppliers who are doing the same, which Neutral is. So this is perfect for the conscious consumer looking to contribute to solving this climate crisis." Marcus also emphasized the growing trend where, "retailers are under tremendous pressure to show improvement and change what's called scope three emissions, which is really all of the emissions relating to what's sitting on the shelf at a retailer rather than their own heating and lighting bill, [it] is the vast bulk of a retailer's emissions footprint." This pressure is driving companies to seek sustainable practices within their supply chains. This shift is exemplified by the speedy partnership between Neutral and Shake Shack. As Corey pointed out, "It tastes the exact same as another milkshake that you'd buy at Shake Shack. But it has the fact that we're using milk from neutral, carbon-neutral milk; it gives consumers purchasing power and gives them a way to really put their money towards a good partnership." The Power of Informed Palates: Empowering the Conscious Consumer At the heart of the conversation lay the pivotal concept of empowering consumers to make conscious, sustainable decisions. Marcus emphasized the latent power residing within consumers, "People don’t realize how empowered they are, and I often think people struggle a bit with maritime shipping or global aviation or a number of these things… are quite difficult to grapple with. But food is a choice people are making every day." "What I would love people to come away from this, “ Marcus articulated, “is for people to feel really excited about what they can achieve in terms of their climate impact. That achievement occurs through food. And this is a change you can make now. Not 2030, not 2050, but you can actually make changes today by buying carbon-neutral or low-carbon foods that create change at farm level.” By offering accessible options for carbon-neutral foods, both restaurants and consumers hold the key to significantly lowering their environmental impact. Corey highlighted the importance of transparency, “It's on restaurants to transparently tell consumers what they are doing because, yes, consumers need to look out for these restaurants that are making conscious choices […] I think that if other restaurants did the same, consumers wouldn't have that decision fatigue, and they'd be able to go to the grocery store and know more about the brands that are on the shelves there." Corey continued her discussion about the educational aspect, expressing her hopes for Shake Shack's ongoing endeavors, “There is such an education piece, which I'm hoping that at Shake Shack, we can continue to develop where we help educate consumers on what is regenerative farming [and] what does carbon-neutral milk mean?" As pioneers like Neutral and Shake Shack lead the way, consumers worldwide have the opportunity to become conscious consumers with every sip. "It's almost as simple as pouring a glass of milk," says Marcus. Corey added, "My cookies and cream shake definitely tastes better knowing that the milk used for it was carbon neutral, for sure.” Interested in learning more? Watch the full segment here: https://www.wedonthavetime.org/events/theroadtocop28#/channel/4798/nb2fk4zwjfxuentbhaztershjb3hozzv
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26 w
such great piece of sustainable
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27 w
Good to here about this collaboration!
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27 w
Great collaboration
Neutral
34 w
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Travis Klinkner's roots in the dairy industry run deep. As a 6th generation farmer, Travis is intimately familiar with the industry's intricacies. "I always call my cows' athletes," says Travis, "Just like you prepare and train for the Olympics, we set them up for optimal performance: from nutrition and mineral balances to the newest technologies and equipment." Travis and his wife took the leap to purchase their own farm nearly a decade ago – a centennial farm owned for over four generations by his wife's parents. This family-run operation now serves as a haven for approximately 60 milking cows and 70 young stock nestled in the rolling hills of Wisconsin. As an organic dairy producer, Travis's commitment to and affection for farming are evident in his emphasis on preventative care and maintenance. His voice gains fervor when discussing the resurrection of soil health on his land—a journey that involved expanding pastures, instituting rotational grazing and crop rotations, and planting riparian buffers and pollinator-friendly plants commonly known as prairie strips. However, like many farmers across the United States, Travis grapples with the sense of unease stemming from consumer distrust. "We have already implemented a lot of changes to the way we farm. The changes don't happen overnight, but we are farming a lot differently than we used to," he articulates. He also speaks to the disconnect between producers and consumers, and how that fosters an unsettling lack of transparency and, by extension, trust. "We are farmers; we know what's going on in the land, in the soil, with our animals… don't they (consumers) trust us?" So, when Neutral knocked on doors in his community, Travis met the approach head-on. He was driven by a protective instinct for his neighbors and only agreed to speak with Neutral to make sure his neighbors weren't signing up for something that would get them in trouble. "I was a skeptic. I was leery," Travis admits, "and I was scared for my neighbors." However, as the conversation with Neutral continued, Travis's apprehensions gradually gave way. The turning point arrived when he realized that Neutral's intent was not to dictate change but to offer a helping hand, asking how they could help support the initiatives he was already implementing to enhance his farm's sustainability, reduce GHG emissions, and bolster soil and water health. "It's a neat symbiotic relationship," Travis says," [Neutral] doesn't force a mandate on us, but tries to find things that fit with my management style and farm." The result? A proactive partnership and investment from Neutral. While Travis had already integrated many of the recommended sustainability practices through his local watershed conservation work, Neutral intervened to alleviate the costs associated with Agolin, an essential oil with benefits that extend beyond improving animal health—it also slashes GHG emissions by 6-10% when fed to lactating cows. Travis's sights are now set on a new project: installing solar power to heat water, thereby reducing reliance on propane or electricity. "I think we need to recognize as a whole that while the dairy industry isn't at the root of the problem, we have opportunities to change and we can work with people who recognize our value," he asserts. For Travis, this kind of transformation lies at the heart of the farmer's spirit. "We're always paying attention to see what the others are doing. Looking over the fence to see if our neighbor's corn is doing better. While we farmers are stubborn, because it takes a stubborn person to wake up early every morning to tend to the animals, we are not afraid to change if it's going to be better for us," Travis affirms. To his fellow farmers, Travis extends an encouraging invitation: "There are benefits to this partnership and more people should jump onboard". And to consumers, Travis's farm beckons with open arms: "Come on down to the farm. We'd be happy to educate all of you." Want to learn more about Klinkner Dairy? You can find out where Travis’ milk goes (and where Neutral sources) by visiting: https://www.westbycreamery.com/. Interested in learning more about the local watershed groups? Find out more here and here!
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29 w
What are the odds, huh? Pretty amazing
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34 w
Very inspitational. Thanks for this interview and perspective. Agriculture is often discussed in the climate space but the farmer itself is rarely in that dialogue.
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interesting
Neutral
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What sets us apart from other dairy and farm products is that we don’t just only measure emissions on the farm, but we measure the whole journey of our product. We use a farm to fridge approach, which means we measure the emissions emitted from all parts of this journey and beyond to ensure we counter emissions whenever possible. In this article, we'll explain how Neutral conducts its farm to fridge approach as well as all the scientific considerations and measurements we make. Obsessively measuring carbon emissions At Neutral, when it comes to measuring the carbon emission of our products, we are obsessive. We take pride in being driven in our measurements because we believe it’s essential to be transparent about carbon emission reduction. Our journey of obsessive measurement begins with employing a life cycle assessment (LCA) to understand our emissions and where we can start to make an impact in reducing them. We use a cradle-to-grave approach for our LCA, which means we account for all on-farm activities as well as processing, transportation, packaging, retail operations, waste, and disposal. This approach is highly comprehensive. The on-farm activities can range from fertilizer to cow methane burps and energy use. In our LCA, we even measure and include small details like the energy waste associated with the opening and closing of the refrigerator, the gas it takes to drive to the grocery store, and the little bit of milk left in the carton that gets tossed out from time to time. Our LCA is done by Dr. Greg Thoma, who has spent his career studying the environmental footprint of animal agriculture. His work on determining the carbon footprint of a gallon of milk by visiting over 300 U.S. dairies was adapted to resemble the footprint of Neutral’s milk supply chain more closely. The Neutral LCA results show that 72% of the product emissions occur on-farm. So that’s where we are focusing the majority of our carbon reduction efforts — on the farm, working with farmers to realize emission reduction projects. Recently, we’ve committed $1,000,000 with our partners at FarmRaise to increase funding for carbon-reducing projects on farms through 2023, and we don’t want to stop there. The goal is to have every farmer implement sustainable farming practices so we can solve the climate crisis and for families and individuals to take climate action without having to leave the grocery aisle. Neutral’s Offsets and Insets Implementing a carbon reduction project on a farm and witnessing the climate benefits is not instantaneous; these processes take time. To accurately assess the effectiveness of a carbon reduction project, we must account for the emissions before and after its implementation. At the conclusion of each year, Neutral’s scientists calculate the total product footprint and subtract the verified emissions reductions/removals achieved through the project. Any remaining emissions are then addressed through the utilization of verified offsets. Using offsets to achieve carbon neutrality is not the end goal for us, but they do enable us to bring carbon neutral products to consumers now. Offsets aren’t here to solve the climate crisis completely, because only real and lasting climate action can do that. Think of it this way — offsets are the ambulance ride to the hospital, and climate action is living a healthy lifestyle that would avoid these ambulance rides. With offsets covering the emissions that we cannot reduce, we also develop insets. Insets are verified reductions or removals of greenhouse gas emissions that occur within the supply chain or supply shed of a product, but the main takeaway in the difference between inset and offset is that insets directly address supply chain emissions (a.k.a. scope 3 emissions). At Neutral, we develop insets that are real, additional, permanent, and independently verified by a third party. Decarbonizing agriculture by helping producers is our reason for being, and thus developing insets is where we spend the lion’s share of our time and resources. Our goal is to eliminate the majority of Neutral’s carbon footprint via insets. Neutral purchases all of its offsets from the Climate Action Reserve (CAR), which is a leading verifying body and registry of carbon offsets. CAR works to ensure that offsets on their registry are real, additional, permanent, verifiable, and enforceable. The offsets Neutral purchases are from dairy methane digesters, which trap methane emissions that otherwise would have been released into the atmosphere and can be used as a renewable natural gas fuel source. Neutral is Certified Carbon Neutral Farms are at the heart of our mission to radically transform agriculture, and we continue to focus most of our efforts on carbon reduction there. At Neutral, everything from our climate claims to the greenhouse gas reduction projects we conduct with farmers, are independently verified by a third party on an annual basis. Specifically, we hire global climate advisory firm SCS Global to audit our analyses, and continually ground our work in the best available science and most accurate math. While many carbon claims are self-reported, being certified means that our carbon claims have passed a stringent set of requirements defined and verified by independent standard bearers. Our most recent certification from SCS can be found here. Stay in touch with Neutral by following our We Don’t Have Time page, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our newsletter here. Tell us in the comments what our next article should be about!
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42 w
Your commitment to operate sustainably and control your carbon foot print is to be emulated world wide.
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43 w
Fascinating to learn all the processes that go into measuring and offsetting emissions on farms!
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43 w
Keep it up. I hope diaries around the world copy your concept. @arla !
Neutral
47 w
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Neutral launched a social media campaign on Earth Day to ask the simple but profound question: “Why is our planet worth saving?” Since then, we’ve received an outpouring of responses, including investors John Legend and Mark Cuban, and celebrities, Heather Morris, Jake Johnson, and Genevieve Padalecki, talking about why they think the planet is worth saving. While we received plenty of responses from the social media campaign, we also decided to dive deeper into why the planet is worth saving by commissioning a survey with YouGov to better understand how Americans view the climate crisis. It’s easy for us to express how we feel about the climate crisis because Neutral has been built on the belief that the world is worth protecting and that together, people can make a real impact with daily food choices. Our mission is to radically reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture, starting with dairy. Neutral has a carbon reduction team that works with farmers on realizing new emission reduction projects. When it comes to how Americans feel about the climate crisis, we wanted to learn more. Do people feel empowered to take climate action? Do they think the planet is worth saving? The YouGov survey gave us a better glimpse of how Americans feel about the climate crisis, and here are the results. YouGov Survey results The survey provided the following insights: - 73% of US adults feel that fighting climate change is important, and of those, 92% agree with the statement that “our planet is worth saving.” - 62% of Americans agree that food choices impact the planet, and 52% would switch to a different food brand if it could impact climate change. - 86% of Americans feel our planet is worth protecting, but more than half don’t know how they can personally help. As the first carbon neutral food company in the United States, we are glad that 62% of Americans agree that food choices impact the planet and that 52% would switch to a different food brand if it could impact climate change daily food choices will make an impact. When asked about the survey results, the CEO of Neutral, Marcus Lovell Smith, said, “There is a very, very real urgency surrounding climate change and this new survey data validates that consumers are ready and willing to help make a difference.” Climate action begins with your daily decisions Notably, the survey also reported that 86% of Americans feel our planet is worth protecting, but more than half don’t know how they can personally help. Neutral products allow Americans to make daily choices that positively impact the climate. It’s as simple as swapping the milk you add to your coffee or cereal every morning – to Neutral. Our milk is creamy and delicious, produced by happy cows on family farms. We have been carbon neutral since the beginning and envision a future with entire grocery aisles dedicated to carbon neutral foods. Empowering the next wave of American climate action can be as simple as switching to Neutral in your fridge. Read here to learn how the survey was conducted. Neutral’s climate journey Stay in the loop with Neutral by following us on We Don’t Have Time, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Receive daily updates by subscribing to our newsletter. What surprised you the most about the survey? Let us know in the comments!
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16 w
Useful information for me. Keep it up https://blossomword-game.com
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47 w
Awesome campaign! Love the video with John Legend 🌟
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47 w
This is an impactful campaign! And great to see some famous people joining it, it always helps
Neutral
59 w
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Cory Carman is a 4th generation rancher based in Wallowa, Oregon, USA, who teamed up with Neutral to reduce the climate footprint of her farm. Now she is implementing a solution that could reduce the methane emissions from her livestock by up to 80%. At Neutral, we are all about radically reducing methane emissions. We want to help climate-conscious ranchers and farmers who want what's best for their farms and the environment. With the climate crisis in full swing, the cost of making climate-friendly investments can be steep for farmers and ranchers, but there is also a rise in market trends for environmentally friendly products. At Neutral, we are witnessing with our own eyes how more and more people, families, farmers, and corporations, are showing their interest in doing what’s right for the planet. Ranchers like Cory Carman of Carman Ranch and Carman Ranch Provisions have recognized the emerging green market trends and sought solutions on how to best reduce emissions on Carman Ranch. In Eastern Oregon, Cory has been raising her herd on a grass diet, a practice that has existed for millennia. While methane emissions resulting from cows' digestion on this grass diet have remained a constant issue over time, the climate crisis is new and it demands immediate attention and solutions. The Neutral team and Cory Carman were searching for solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions on her ranch in Eastern Oregon when Symbrosia emerged as a game changer. Symbroisa is the maker of SeaGraze™, a supplement made from red seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) that has been shown to reduce enteric methane emissions by over 80% when added to livestock feed. This month, Neutral, Carman Ranch and Symbrosia are launching a trial designed to (1) demonstrate the efficacy of enteric methane reduction with SeaGraze™ on Carman Ranch and (2) answer outstanding operational and logistical questions that Cory and other producers have about giving her herd this new climate-friendly diet. During this trial, we will collaborate with Cory to monitor the weight of her herd to ensure that expected gains are achieved. We will also assist Cory in testing the meat to ensure its safety for consumers and that it meets the high standards of quality that consumers have come to expect and love from Carman Ranch products. It's essential to work with farmers and ranchers to implement long-term climate solutions on agricultural lands. It will ensure that new technologies are practical, effective, and profitable, while farmers are able to retain the taste and quality of their products. We are excited to be embarking on this partnership with Symbrosia and Carman Ranch, which represents a meaningful step towards addressing the urgent need to support climate-friendly agricultural practices. The growing demand from consumers for environmentally-friendly products is a clear indication to stakeholders that projects like these are worth pursuing. To learn more about this partnership and our combined impact, join Ann Radil, Head of Carbon Reduction at Neutral, Alexia Akbay, founder and CEO of Symbrosia, and Cory Carman, owner of Carman Ranch, at SXSW for the panel, ‘Carbon Neutral Beef? Too Good to be True?’
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56 w
Brilliant idea in reducing emissions
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59 w
Incredible climate solution! I hope this solution can be adopted across farms worldwide!
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59 w
is there enough red seaweed for all the cows?
Neutral
71 w
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Our commitment to decarbonizing farms and helping farmers apply climate-friendly agricultural practices hasn’t wavered over the years. In fact, it’s gotten stronger. We are providing $1 million dollars to FarmRaise to be distributed within their network of more than 15,000 farmers. This partnership with FarmRaise will see the one million dollars being funneled into assisting farmers in transitioning into greener agricultural practices. And these funds will tackle the largest sources of on-dairy farm greenhouse gas emissions: enteric methane and greenhouse gas emissions associated with manure management. We know that every farm does not have the same level of emissions, but we want every farm to be on the same upward journey toward a climate-friendly future. Neutral’s Partnership with FarmRaise With 72% of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production occurring on farms, it’s essential that the work we do to implement climate-smart agricultural practices begin with working with farmers and tailoring climate-friendly agricultural practices around each farm. Thanks to this partnership, farmers are now able to utilize FarmRaise’s digitally-built network, connect with available sources of state and federal funding AND, for the first time, leverage funds from Neutral. This partnership with FarmRaise is a game-changer when it comes to tailoring climate solutions to farmers and farms. A major advantage of FarmRaise's platform is that it enables us to connect with a large number of dedicated climate-minded producers and farmers who need help in transitioning to greener agricultural techniques. Farms and agricultural practices are integral in solving the climate crisis. And the major advantage of this partnership is that we are able to reach and work with more farmers to help steer climate solutions on more farms. We are pressing ahead with our mission to radically reduce the emissions of every glass of milk and empower farmers along the way with more environmentally-friendly agricultural practices. Our partnership with FarmRaise will help us support conservation-driven dairy farmers and connect them with funding to make our world a less carbon-intensive place. Do you have questions about our partnership with FarmRaise? You can write to us in the comments below, and we’d be happy to answer any questions that you have.
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56 w
Wonderful impactful partnership
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71 w
What a great partnership! I didn't know that 72% of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production came from farms. It's important to work with farmers and tailor climate solutions to each specific farm to curb emissions!
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71 w
Love to hear about organizations that connect funding with the actors that need it to create climate progress! FarmRaise deserves climate love for their work 😊
Neutral
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At Neutral, we want to make it easy for Americans to make climate-friendly choices in their everyday lives. We do this by providing carbon-neutral dairy products nationwide – while at the same time adding environmental benefits to our farmers. “We are meeting Americans where they are, and that’s really where the impact is”, says CEO Marcus Lovell Smith during a presentation at the Climate Week NYC event ”The Road to COP27”, which was broadcast live to more than ten million people in over 100 countries. There are many climate impacts associated with milk outside of your refrigerator, but does this need to be the case with all dairy products? At Neutral, we certainly don’t think so. We know – and have scientifically proven – that dairy farming practices can be improved to benefit the environment without altering the delicious taste of dairy. Our mission is to revolutionize the dairy industry and lead by example. At Neutral, we are reducing methane emissions of dairy farms and providing consumers with a climate-conscientious choice in the grocery aisle. We do this by taking the carbon footprint out of dairy and reducing it by implementing better climate farming practices and working only with verified carbon offsetting organizations to reduce climate emissions that cannot be effectively recycled or repurposed on dairy farms. At We Don’t Have Time’s Climate Week NYC broadcast, “The Road to COP27”, we had our Head of Carbon Reduction, Ann Radil, and CEO Marcus Lovell Smith engage in a fireside chat with climate behavioral scientist Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, US President of We Don’t Have Time. They discussed the role of dairy in the climate crisis and how consumers can make a climate impact with their decisions without overhauling their diets. Meeting people where they are today Approximately 150 million households around the world are engaged in milk production, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). When talking about the number of people who consume milk and milk products, the figure estimated by the FAO jumps to 6 billion people. Changing the decisions of households around the world and dietary habits represents a huge hurdle in reaching global climate goals. Marcus Lovell Smith, is keenly aware of the impact of dairy and the importance of implementing climate action by meeting people where they are today. Having a complete lifestyle overhaul can be hard, but offering consumers easy alternatives to make their daily decisions less impactful on the environment is an important step toward reaching climate targets. Behind China, the USA has the largest carbon footprint representing 14% of global emissions. Tapping into changing Americans’ lifestyle choices through the “seemingly” small actions of having climate-friendly dairy will impact global climate goals. The first step to creating climate-friendly lifestyle choices is to start small and make it easy for people to adopt them. “We are meeting Americans where they are, and that’s really where the impact is. We are working directly with dairy farmers and beef ranchers to change the course of agriculture. It’s a portfolio of solutions and it’s very important we directly address animal-based proteins”, says Lovell Smith. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these solutions also yield co-benefits for the producers. Neutral’s on-farm projects improve profitability, soil health and resilience, increase efficiency, and in some cases, bring new revenue streams for the farmers. The Solutions So what do Neutral’s climate solutions look like? During the “The Road to COP27” broadcast, our Head of Carbon Reduction at Neutral, Ann Radil, gave Dr. Sweta Chakraborty a quick rundown of how Neutral is going about climate solutions. These are just some of the many climate-friendly things we try to implement on dairy farms: 1. Reducing Enteric methane (the byproduct of digestion itself) – Neutral is developing projects that integrate naturally occurring secondary metabolites (Tannins) into forage and hay, so when cows eat, cows are not only healthier, but methane emissions are also reduced. 2. Managing manure on farms – Neutral works side-by-side with farmers to enable them to efficiently and easily go about composting manure to reduce methane emissions. This also means less environmentally harmful cow farts and cow burps. 3. Changing how cow feed is produced – Neutral works with dairy farmers to have them adopt regenerative farming practices. The benefit of regenerative farming practices improve soil health and increase the potential of long-term soil carbon storage. 4. Feeding cows small amounts of seaweed supplement – Researchers have found that supplementing cow feed with seaweed can reduce methane by more than 82%. Are you interested in learning more about Neutral? Check out our website. Watch the whole We Don’t Have Time Climate Week NYC broadcast and view Neutral’s segment with Ann and Marcus: https://youtu.be/bo5jL_K5BQs?t=4101
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Definitely a viable alternative
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I don't generally consume dairy but this can be a good alternative for people that can't go without dairy products
Shared by Neutral
We Don't Have Time
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PARTNER UPDATE. Did you know that a small portion of seaweed in dairy cows’ diets can reduce their methane emissions by more than 80%? And that this can also lead to a higher income for the farmer. Neutral, the first carbon-neutral food company in the United States – and a new partner of We Don’t Have Time – will talk about this and other exciting climate solutions during Climate Week NYC. Neutral, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is on a mission to drastically reduce emissions from meat and dairy farms. The company was founded in 2019, and today its carbon-neutral dairy products can be found in 2,000 stores in 45 states. Having recently raised $ 12 million in its first series A funding, Neutral is now ready to move into the next phase of growth. ”Agriculture is a driver of climate change, but it can also be part of the solution. That’s why we founded Neutral”, says Ann Radil, Head of Carbon Reduction at Neutral. ”Neutral provides carbon-neutral staples found in most households, and we scale adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.” Neutral works with primarily organic, family-owned farms. Each collaboration begins with a detailed and rigorous accounting of all the greenhouse gas emissions embodied in the end product. This life-cycle assessment, LCA, includes everything from what the cows eat and what the cows burp, to transportation, the energy used to power the farm, and what happens to the milk carton at the end of its life cycle. ”What the rigorous LCA tells us is that 72 percent of the footprint of dairy occurs on farm. The biggest opportunities that we see are the solutions that address the largest greenhouse gas emission sources on the farm. Many of those solutions are related to reducing methane, for instance by introducing new ways of handling manure, and changing what cows eat. This year alone we’re investing over a million dollars in projects that will reduce and remove more than 65 000 metric tonnes over their lifetime.” https://youtu.be/oJp9ZOZjTUs To reduce methane emissions, Neutral tries to identify forage modifications that cows will love to eat, like tannin-optimized feed. Lately the company has also started experimenting with seaweed. Research has shown that even a very modest amount of seaweed in the cows’ diet can reduce methane emissions by 82 percent or more. ”The research is really compelling. We’re actively working on a trial now with a seaweed supplement producer and one of our farmers, in partnership with Colorado State, to measure the effects in our supply chains. We think that there is a tremendous opportunity here.” Reducing methane burping may also improve milk production, thereby making the climate solution a good business case. And that’s just one of the economic benefits Neutral has discovered in their partnership with farmers. ”There is a fantastic business case here. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these products also yield co-benefits that the producers care about. It improves profitability, it improves soil health and resilience, it increases efficiency, and in some cases brings new revenue streams.” For many of the farmers Neutral are collaborating with, implementing these solutions is also about future-proofing their business models in an increasingly unstable climate. Extreme weather events, like forest fires and long-term droughts, are becoming increasingly common in many parts of the US. ”The farmers we work with are interested in solutions that will increase their resilience, for example soil health and water management. All farmers we work with today are in one way or another impacted by wildfire, which makes them start to rethink how they manage their herds, for instance.” Earlier this year, Neutral partnered with We Don’t Have Time. According to Ann Radil, it’s a perfect match. “You’re such a fantastic organization. We couldn’t be more mission-aligned. As a very nimble start-up, it’s been so important to us to have a very entrepreneurial partner in advocacy as well. Just the fact you gave us the ability to present a panel for South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. That was a huge opportunity for us to get together and highlight to a passionate audience what solutions are available and working. You need to have an entrepreneurial mindset to pursue some of these far-reaching opportunities to do this kind of storytelling, and we’ve found that to be the case with your group. We also love that you have a global audience. We’re going to look into various ways to engage with them.” On September 20, Ann Radil and Neutral’s CEO Marcus Lovell Smith will join the We Don’t Have Time broadcast The Road to COP27, a full-day live broadcast that is part of this year’s Climate Week NYC. ”We are really looking forward to networking with our partners and connecting with other leaders in this space, to share what we have learned, and to learn from others”, says Ann Radil. ”We’re also excited to wrap up some work we’ve been doing with food and agriculture working groups, which have been looking at how we collectively co-develop carbon accounting best practices that will incentivize the creating of insets versus offsets. We want companies to be incentivized to take responsibility for their own supply-chain emissions reduction. We’re not going to offset our way out of this problem.” By MARKUS LUTTEMAN
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Awesome approach in becoming part of the solution
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Thankyou for implementing best solutions. Looking forward to hear more from you on 20th. All the best to your endeavours of making our planet better!
Ford Brodeur
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According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), approximately 150 million households around the globe are engaged in milk production, and 6 billion people consume milk and milk products. Milk production and consumption can be essential for some people's economic livelihoods, culture, and diet. Even with the dairy industry's significant climate emissions, dairy products remain a fixture in people's lives. Bridging the gap between milk's climate emissions and incentivizing immediate change within people's lifestyle choices can be a difficult conversation to start. However, Neutral offers a climate solution for dairy lovers and environmentalists alike. Neutral is the first carbon-neutral milk. You're probably asking yourself, how does Neutral separate itself from the rest of the herd? (Thank you for bearing with me on my dad-level cow pun). Neutral is different from others in the dairy industry because Neutral is mindful of its carbon footprint. Neutral examines the holistic lifecycle of dairy - from how farmers in the fields feed cows, how the dairy got to be in your fridge, and how the dairy cartons will be disposed of when you're done with it. The obsessive measurement of climate impacts on dairy farms enables Neutral to make climate-friendly adjustments to the dairy product supply chain. For example, the manure from cows on Neutral farms is transformed into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion. Neutral also works to finance and guide farmers to make climate-friendly changes in their operations. To ensure that every project is 100% carbon neutral, Neutral also uses verified carbon offsets from the Carbon Action Reserve. Verified carbon offsets eliminate the risk of invalid creation or double counting of Climate Reserve Tons, while providing transparency and accountability. Some environmentalists are switching to other milk alternatives like almond milk or oat milk; however, these are not without their faults. Milk alternatives also can cause havoc to the environment through deforestation or using large amounts of water to grow plant-based milk. Almond or oat milk brands are not taking steps to be carbon neutral, whereas Neutral has received its Carbon Neutral Certificate from SCS Global. What do you think about the dairy industry? How can it be improved? Is it able to be even greener? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments 👇📝👨💻
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I appreciate Neutral's ideas and work on reducing the carbon footprint of meat and dairy, but perhaps we need to do more than that. https://vengeio.online
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I don't know... I find it hard to justify ethically. Why not spare animals' lives if you can? Almond can be pretty destructive but oat, hemp and peas-based milk are good alternatives.
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I understand where you are coming from but we are not living in a perfect world. No matter what we do, there will always be people who will wanna eat meat and drink dairy. So personally, I think it’s good that Neutral is doing what they can to minimize the carbon footprint of meat and dairy.
Portland-based Neutral Milk claims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral food company. And for $5.49 a half-gallon, it promises—right on the carton—that we can all fight climate change. “We don’t want to be preachy, and we don’t want to sell a happy cow image,” says Marcus Lovell Smith, Neutral Milk’s CEO. “We’re in dairy because if you’re going to make agricultural transformational change, you have to do it with animal proteins and animal products.” Full story: https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2022/06/carbon-neutral-milk-dairy-industry
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They should maybe work on a more serious plan already today, offsetting is not a viable solution...
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How do they do it? I hope not via offsetting?
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I strongly agree with. Reducing carbon footprint requires such actions.
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Great article! Everyday decisions are not as "everyday" as they seem; they actually have a large climate impact!
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interesting