During the initial phase of the partnership, GEA will install four units on Dutch farms that supply milk to Unilever. These systems will be closely monitored over a one-year period to evaluate their impact on Unilever’s carbon footprint. Unilever and GEA will assess and scale up the potential of the system to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the milk production process, thereby improving Unilever’s sustainability across its value chain.
The manure enricher system, developed by GEA, plays a crucial role in enabling climate-friendly milk and food production. This innovative system utilizes air and electricity to produce environmentally friendly organic fertilizer on dairy farms. By employing advanced plasma technology, nitrogen from the air is added into the manure, allowing all available nutrients on the farm to be utilized efficiently. As a result, ammonia losses, which typically occur during storage and field application, can be reduced by up to 95%, as claimed by GEA.
The manure enricher, which can be easily implemented into a farm’s infrastructure, is a container-based solution, according to GEA.
To measure the system’s impact on the carbon footprint, all nutrients, including increased nitrogen, are made available to plants in a targeted and immediate manner. GEA asserts that this supports plant growth and can result in a 40% increase in crop yield compared to untreated manure. Additionally, the manure enricher eliminates methane emissions from manure storage. Collectively, these effects can potentially reduce a farm’s overall carbon footprint by up to 30%.
Eric Soubeiran, Managing Director – Climate and Nature Fund at Unilever, expressed confidence in the role of technology and innovation in decarbonizing the dairy industry. Soubeiran highlighted the partnership between CONO Kaasmakers (a supplier of Unilever) and GEA, along with four dairy farmers, as an excellent example of a circular farm management system. He emphasized that by adopting this technology, Unilever is driving its regenerative strategy and significantly reducing the carbon footprint of its dairy ingredients, resulting in more sustainable products for consumers.
Unilever’s Climate & Nature Fund, which aims to invest €1 billion by 2030 in climate, nature, and resource efficiency projects, supports this pilot initiative.
Peter Lauwers, CEO of GEA Farm Technologies, is delighted that Unilever has chosen GEA as their partner, viewing it as a significant endorsement of their innovative solutions. He emphasized GEA’s commitment to empowering dairy farmers worldwide to future-proof their operations in the face of tight margins, environmental regulations, and increasing complexity. Lauwers stated that as a leading system supplier for the food industry, GEA is dedicated to promoting circular farming through collaboration with Unilever on the manure enricher solution.
In conclusion, this partnership between GEA and Unilever aims to leverage innovative technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve sustainability in the milk production process, and provide more sustainable products for consumers. By implementing the manure enricher system, farms can enhance their nutrient utilization and reduce their carbon footprint, contributing to a more environmentally friendly food and beverage industry.
