Athian’s Livestock Carbon Marketplace: Empowering Farmers and the Value Chain
Athian, an innovative platform powered by athian.ai, has recently unveiled a groundbreaking initiative: the world’s first voluntary livestock carbon insetting marketplace. This pioneering endeavor aims to tackle two critical challenges simultaneously: reducing enteric methane emissions and enhancing feed utilization. How? By leveraging cutting-edge feed management products from Elanco Animal Health.
So, what does this mean for farmers and the environment? Let’s break it down:
So, what does this mean for farmers and the environment? Let’s break it down:
- Empowering Dairy Farmers: Regardless of their farm size, dairy farmers now have a golden opportunity. They can implement sustainable practices on their farms, measure the impact, and undergo third-party verification for their greenhouse gas emissions reductions. As a result, they earn carbon credits, which can be traded within Athian’s livestock carbon insetting marketplace.
- Supply Chain Collaboration: Companies operating within the dairy value chain—think consumer-packaged goods companies and food retailers—can actively participate. By purchasing these carbon credits, they contribute to their Scope 3 emissions reduction goals. It’s a win-win: economic value flows back to the farmer through credit sales, while the entire U.S. dairy industry advances toward its ambitious goal of greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.
- Expanding Horizons: Athian’s vision extends beyond dairy. Over time, this marketplace will broaden its scope to include other livestock and poultry, fostering a more sustainable future for agriculture.
“Athian’s first carbon credits for dairy are an exciting and crucial step as they demonstrate the ability to tangibly quantify and verify greenhouse gas emissions reductions and create monetary value for farmers for their efforts,” said Paul Myer, CEO of Athian. “This marketplace, specifically designed for the animal protein industry, is different than traditional offsetting carbon marketplaces because it keeps the value—economic value as well as positive environmental value—in the animal protein value chain.”
Enabling Farmers with Economic Opportunities
While farmers are increasingly aware of carbon markets, the current participation rate remains low—only 3% of farmers engage in these markets today, as highlighted by a recent survey referenced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)1. To address this challenge, a novel approach emerges: the creation of an inset market model that collaborates closely with established supply chain partners. By doing so, we simplify the process for farmers to assess and implement stringent verifications, ultimately dismantling barriers to entry and propelling progress forward.
“As a co-creator and seed investor in Athian, we’re excited to see the company reach the milestones that will bring new value to farmers and help them advance toward climate-neutral farming,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco Animal Health. “As a leader in animal health, we’ve focused first on delivering enteric methane reduction solutions to producers. If the entire U.S. dairy industry leveraged this intervention, it would avoid 4.7 million metric tons of CO2e emissions annually from enteric, feed and manure emissions. This is a game changer for value creation throughout the food chain, and it’s just the start. Environmental sustainability needs to be grounded in farmer profitability.”
Empowering the Value Chain for Sustainable Impact
In the quest for a greener future, food companies and retailers have collectively pledged to reduce over 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While corporate target-setting has made strides, addressing Scope 3 emissions—often stemming from raw material production like milk—remains a formidable challenge.
Enter Athian’s innovative insetting livestock carbon credit marketplace. This groundbreaking initiative allows companies within the animal protein value chain to take meaningful steps toward their Scope 3 greenhouse gas reduction goals. By participating in this transformative marketplace, they contribute not only to their own sustainability objectives but also to a more environmentally conscious world.
Athian and Elanco are actively engaged in the Reuters Transform Food USA 2023 event on Thursday, November 2, 2023, where they will delve deeper into this transformative journey.
And here’s the exciting part: enteric methane reduction carbon credits are now up for grabs through Athian’s insetting carbon marketplace. Let’s turn emissions into opportunities!
Enabling Farmers with Economic Opportunities
While farmers are increasingly aware of carbon markets, the current participation rate remains low—only 3% of farmers engage in these markets today, as highlighted by a recent survey referenced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)1. To address this challenge, a novel approach emerges: the creation of an inset market model that collaborates closely with established supply chain partners. By doing so, we simplify the process for farmers to assess and implement stringent verifications, ultimately dismantling barriers to entry and propelling progress forward.
“As a co-creator and seed investor in Athian, we’re excited to see the company reach the milestones that will bring new value to farmers and help them advance toward climate-neutral farming,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco Animal Health. “As a leader in animal health, we’ve focused first on delivering enteric methane reduction solutions to producers. If the entire U.S. dairy industry leveraged this intervention, it would avoid 4.7 million metric tons of CO2e emissions annually from enteric, feed and manure emissions. This is a game changer for value creation throughout the food chain, and it’s just the start. Environmental sustainability needs to be grounded in farmer profitability.”
Empowering the Value Chain for Sustainable Impact
In the quest for a greener future, food companies and retailers have collectively pledged to reduce over 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While corporate target-setting has made strides, addressing Scope 3 emissions—often stemming from raw material production like milk—remains a formidable challenge.
Enter Athian’s innovative insetting livestock carbon credit marketplace. This groundbreaking initiative allows companies within the animal protein value chain to take meaningful steps toward their Scope 3 greenhouse gas reduction goals. By participating in this transformative marketplace, they contribute not only to their own sustainability objectives but also to a more environmentally conscious world.
Athian and Elanco are actively engaged in the Reuters Transform Food USA 2023 event on Thursday, November 2, 2023, where they will delve deeper into this transformative journey.
And here’s the exciting part: enteric methane reduction carbon credits are now up for grabs through Athian’s insetting carbon marketplace. Let’s turn emissions into opportunities!
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