December’s food for thought…

• Converting Methane Emissions From Dairy Farms to Biogas Could Save More Than £400M a Year in Fuel Costs
• Animal welfare has priority: Swiss consumers’ preferences for animal welfare, greenhouse gas reductions and other sustainability improvements in dairy products
• EU deforestation law: Parliament wants to give companies one more year to comply
• Supermarkets make plastic problem worse with cheap pre-packaged produce, report finds
• Fruit and vegetable growers launch $60m venture capital fund to fast-track tech startups

Converting Methane Emissions From Dairy Farms to Biogas Could Save More Than £400M a Year in Fuel Costs from edairy news. New research has found methane emissions from slurry stores on dairy farms may be up to five times greater than official statistics suggest - and highlights the huge potential for turning them into a renewable energy source. Read the article

Animal welfare has priority: Swiss consumers’ preferences for animal welfare, greenhouse gas reductions and other sustainability improvements in dairy products – from Science Direct. A study of milk and butter consumers looked at whether they would be willing to pay more if it meant better animal welfare. Read the full paper.

EU deforestation law: Parliament wants to give companies one more year to comply – from News European Parliament. EU deforestation obligations will be postponed one year so that companies can comply with the law that ensures products sold in the EU are not sourced from deforested land. Read the article

Supermarkets make plastic problem worse with cheap pre-packed produce, report finds – by ABC News, Australia. Environment groups are warning urgent action is needed to reduce plastic packaging. An audit reveals supermarkets are enticing customers to choose plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables by charging less. Read the full article

Fruit and vegetable growers launch $60m venture capital fund to fast-track tech startup – from ABC News. Australian farmers have launched a world-first venture capital fund to back startup tech companies to tackle horticulture's biggest challenges. What can dairy perhaps learn from this horticulture initiative? Read the article