Global food giant Nestlé has launched a new project that will seek to develop a scientifically measured carbon neutral dairy farm in South Africa by 2023.

Known as the Skimmelkrans Net Zero Carbon Emissions Project, Nestlé says it is working with a local dairy farm in South Africa to reduce emissions from cows, but also to increase soil carbon sequestration.

“Net-zero is achieved when emissions created by the farm are displaced by removing the same amount of emissions from the atmosphere,” said agricultural services group manager at Nestlé South Africa Hoven Meyer.

"While there are many ways to create more sustainable operations for dairy farms, Skimmelkrans sets itself apart through the soil work, water conservation, feed management and manure processing, where some of the biggest reductions of greenhouse gases occur," he added.

Carbon

Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, said a key element of the project will be the collection of cow manure so the solids can be separated from the liquids.

The manure solids will be spread back on the land as compost, while the soiled water will then be used for irrigation of crops.

The company said it will begin analysing the soils on the farm in April next year to ascertain if soil carbon is being built in the soil, which means the farm is moving in the right direction towards its goal of net-zero carbon emissions.