Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is using permanent grassland to offset Co2 emissions in its business.

The retailer aims to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 on 2018. Through a collaborative programme with Royal A-Ware and dairy co-operative Deltamilk, 450 farmers have reduced emissions by increasing soil carbon sequestration through permanent grassland.

The project covers 20,000ha of permanent grassland which has not been ploughed since 2020 and has been sown with multispecies herbs.

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Albert Heijn confirmed that independent research has verified that the soils on participating farms contain up to twice as much carbon as soils outside of the programme. The retailer is aiming for a climate-neutral dairy chain in which emissions and sequestration are in balance. It is not clear how participating farmers are being financially rewarded for their efforts.