TOKYO – Biotechnology corporation Ajinomoto Co., Inc., joined international food manufacturer Danone’s “Partner for Growth” program. The companies shared that they aim to reduce multiple sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the milk supply chain.

Ajinomoto, which produces amino acids, will work with Danone to provide dairy farms with the Japanese company’s AjiPro-L product – an amino acid feed supplement.

Danone said Ajinomoto’s innovation would make it possible for dairy farmers to feed their cows less protein, such as soy, but maintain the health of the cows and their milk production. Furthermore, Danone said using AjiPro-L enables farmers to “significantly reduce the CO2 footprint and the cost of milk production.”

The feed product’s formulators explained that AjiPro-L “delivers lysine, an essential amino acid, to the cow's digestive system, where it can be absorbed as a nutrient.” Per Ajinomoto, it calculated that using the product also may decrease nitrous oxide emissions from manure by approximately 25%, per head of cattle per year, depending on a farms’ feed design and other factors.

Ajinomoto’s executive officer, vice president and general manager for its bio and fine chemicals division, Sumio Maeda, said the company is committed to “mitigating negative impacts and expanding positive ones” with its strategies, which focus on the well being of the planet and its people.

"Leveraging our expertise in amino acids, we developed the AjiPro-L solution to help reduce feed costs and GHG emissions not only for our partners but for the entire dairy and beef industry,” Maeda said.

The companies said through the early work in the partnership, they are looking to introduce the feed supplement to Danone’s contracted farmers in Spain, Brazil and the United States, as well as Danone’s farmers in Egypt and Morocco.

Ajinomoto and Danone also said they will work together on incorporating the solution into tools for quantifying GHG reductions.

Image: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.