Ben & Jerry’s has announced its latest initiative to tackle climate change with its Project Mootopia campaign, noting the entire dairy industry's big share of the world's carbon footprint. Jenna Evans, the global sustainability manager for the ice cream brand, joined Cheddar News to talk about the initiative to tackle methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from dairy farming and if consumers should be concerned about a change in the product. "They'll still be able to eat and enjoy the same delicious ice cream just with less impact to the environment," she said.

Closing Bell

Ben & Jerry’s Project ‘Mootopia’ Looks to Tackle Dairy Methane Emissions

Okay, well the U. S. Has ambitious plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions but it's not going to get there without major changes by companies across a variety of industries. And that even includes dairy farmers and ice cream maker Ben and jerry's looking to help lead the way with a new climate commitment. So joining me now is jenny Evans global sustainability manager Ben and jerry's Jenna is good to have you on the show. Tell me more about this climate focus pilot program. Sure, yeah, we're really excited to launch project utopia, we're calling it, it's involving 15 farmers between the us and the Netherlands and the goal is to cut greenhouse-gas emissions on the farm by 50%. So how are they going to do that? How do you get there? Of course, we know that oftentimes what happens on the farm can be a big emitter to the global climate. That's right. Um, there's three main areas on a dairy farm where greenhouse gas emissions come from. The first is interior commissions, which for the layperson is cow burping. The second is from manure emissions and then the third is from cropping practices. And so Project Utopia is going to address these three areas and more um to specifically target methane, which is a very powerful greenhouse gas. Now for users, your customers, will they see any difference in the products that they get from Ben? And jerry's no, they'll still be able to eat and enjoy the same delicious ice cream just with less impact to the environment. What kind of dollar commitment Jenna is this taking from your company? We see so many companies out there committing to sustainability and a better climate future, but of course it does come at a cost. That's right. Um the price varies depending on which type of intervention um is being focused on on the farm. Um but our parent company Unilever has a climate and nature fund and they've dedicated $9.3 million us and Netherlands to focus on reducing the emissions over the next three years. In terms of implementing this strategy, are their roadblocks that this pandemic has provided in terms of trying to reach these very goals? Absolutely, supply chain issues impact the ice cream industry as well as as well as our partners that we're working with to implement these interventions. Um so the supply chain disruptions for sure have been a big problem um just like everybody else is experiencing. So it's a pilot program for now, but what are the expansion plans and what's the time frame that we're looking at? Yeah, sure. So we are hoping that this pilot program is going to help us identify the projects that work the best and make economic sense for the farms and benefit the cows. Um and we will plan to take those across our supply chain and Unilever is starting in 2025, is there a bigger commitment Jenna that you want to see from companies like your own that do have a strong impact at the farm. The farm is key to their own supply chain that would help overall collectively impact the climate in a positive way. Yeah, I mean, I think any company that has a dairy supply chain um, needs to be focusing on the same issues that we are, we're really excited about utopia and part that we're going to be very transparent about the changes that we're making and what we're learning so that we hope that other agricultural supply chains will be able to benefit from this research and move forward quickly with us. Mm hmm. How dire is the climate crisis in your eyes as the global sustainability manager at this company? And how is it leading your company to act? I mean, I think it's an existential crisis. It's the biggest environmental crisis that we are facing in our lifetimes and that future generations will face as well. Ben and Jerry's specifically has set science-based targets best in back in 2018, um, in order to address um, this emergency, but it's urgent that not only our business but any business out there is taking it very seriously in taking um, big actions in the next, in the coming years. We can't wait. So even despite of course the challenges like the supply chain issues, as you mentioned that this pandemic has presented, it does sound as if your company is still committed towards putting your own firm and your products on a more sustainable path. Absolutely. It's, it's definitely a necessity for any business that's serious about climate change commitments now in terms of what other programs might pop up in the future? What are other initiatives are you looking at for the future in terms of dairy sustainability? Absolutely. Well, so there's not too much innovation around, um, like where the emissions come from, so you have to target really where they're coming from. So one of the most innovative pieces that we're excited about is addressing the cow burps. Uh, so how's naturally belch methane as part of their rumination process? Um, and there's different text are not technologies, but feed feed additives that are coming online, um, that were never available before. So we're really excited to be partnering with a variety of different companies, um, to see what works and what can scale up. All right, Jenna Evans, Global Sustainability Manager, Ben and jerry's Jenna. Thank you.