Emergence Strategy in Action: Danone and the Dairy Methane Action Alliance

This case study examines how Danone uses an 'emergence strategy' and public-private partnerships to address methane emissions in its fresh milk supply chain, focusing on scaling solutions across 58,000 global farmers through research, policy advocacy, and industry coalitions.

• Danone has pledged to reduce methane emissions from its fresh milk supply by 30 percent by 2030, aligning with the Global Methane Pledge. The company's strategy focuses on three primary areas: reducing manure-related emissions, improving feed and herd management, and developing innovative methane inhibitor solutions.
• To achieve its targets, Danone employs a systems approach involving various partnerships. Training initiatives like Farming for Generations achieved a 14 percent methane reduction between 2018 and 2020, with training in North Africa reaching over 10,000 smallholder farmers. Additionally, Danone supports technical solutions through startup funding for companies such as Bovaer, ZELP, and Symbrosia, and was the first corporate contributor to the Global Methane Hub’s Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, which has raised over $200 million since COP28.
• Danone is participating in several industry-wide coalitions to scale methane reductions. It is one of six companies in the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, which aims to facilitate methane action plans by December 2024 and reporting by July 2024. It is also one of 20 partners in the First Movers Coalition for Food, coordinated by the World Economic Forum to create joint market demand for low-emissions agricultural solutions.
• The document notes a significant gap in industry and governmental action regarding agricultural methane. As of November 2023, only 3 of the 60 largest livestock producers had set specific methane reduction targets, and only 5 had reported standalone methane emissions. Most countries currently lack specific plans for agricultural methane.

APA

RMI (2024). Emergence Strategy in Action: Danone and the Dairy Methane Action Alliance. https://rmi.org/resources/emergence-strategy-in-action-danone-and-the-dairy-methane-action-alliance/

Chicago

RMI. Emergence Strategy in Action: Danone and the Dairy Methane Action Alliance. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/emergence-strategy-in-action-danone-and-the-dairy-methane-action-alliance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Emergence Strategy in Action: Danone and the Dairy Methane Action Alliance |date=5 February 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/emergence-strategy-in-action-danone-and-the-dairy-methane-action-alliance/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024emergence, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Emergence Strategy in Action: Danone and the Dairy Methane Action Alliance}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/emergence-strategy-in-action-danone-and-the-dairy-methane-action-alliance/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }