Previously the secret ingredient for top baristas at specialist coffee shops such as Saint Espresso and Kiss the Hippo, Brades Farm Barista Milk is now used in all dairy-based coffees at high-end bakery chain GAIL’s. The climate-smart milk is also now available to buy for home use in two litre bottles from all GAIL’s outlets nationwide and its online shop, as well as in specialist online grocery store Butlers’ Larder.
The milk is produced in Lancashire from cows fed on Mootral Ruminant, a cattle feed supplement developed in Wales.
The 100% natural supplement, containing compounds from garlic and extracts of citrus, has been proven to aid digestion in cows and cut methane emissions from their burps by up to 38%, while naturally increasing yield and enabling the production of climate-friendly milk and beef.
The potential to produce environmentally friendly milk could provide a significant boost for Britain’s dairy farmers at a time when more and more people are questioning the impact of the food and drink they consume.
Mootral is currently ramping up its operations to work with more forward-thinking partners, such as supermarkets and quick service chains, in a bid to get as many farmers as possible feeding the supplement to their cows, ideally at no cost.
It’s estimated that if all 1.5 billion cows in the world ate Mootral Ruminant for a year, the reduction in methane emissions would be equivalent to taking 330 million cars off the road,* making Mootral one of the most scalable solutions in the fight against climate change currently available.
Thomas Hafner, CEO of Mootral, said: “Our collaboration in the heart of Lancashire at family-owned Brades Farm has been a great success, cutting methane emissions while boosting milk yields and providing a premium product for the climate-conscious dairy drinker.
“Whether you’re an everyday consumer, a farmer, an investor or a corporate company – the realisation that we need to act now when it comes to climate change has never been greater.
“Our objective is to get the highest possible number of farmers using Mootral’s feed supplement in the shortest possible time, and our vision for the company is to provide Mootral Ruminant at no cost to farmers. From CowCredits to green milk production, to climate-friendly beef, Mootral’s benefits are apparent across sectors, making it a serious, long-term scalable solution in the fight against climate change.”
Romy Miller, Marketing & Commercial Director of GAIL’s, comments: “We pride ourselves on using the best ingredients we can find, and milk is no exception. By this, we mean top quality and flavour profiles, and a like-mindedness in caring for the community. Brades Farm Barista Milk stands up beautifully in coffee, tastes great, and champions ethical farming and sustainability. Mootral’s natural feed for Brades’ dairy herd creates a premium barista-made coffee for our customers, whilst making a positive difference to the environment.”
‘CowCredits’ hit global offset market
Mootral recently became the first company to generate and sell ‘CowCredits’ that reduce methane emissions from cattle burps on the carbon market, with a methodology approved by Verra,** one of the leading official bodies overseeing verified carbon standards. Brades Farm is also the first farm in the world to generate carbon credits using Mootral Ruminant. The credits are eligible for use as part of CORSIA – Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.
This means businesses across the globe can purchase CowCredits to off-set their emissions while supporting the reduction efforts of local farming communities. In 2019 the carbon credit market was estimated to be worth $215bn, up 34% on the previous year, and with the upcoming COP26 summit later this year it is set to be further energised.
Described as “the Tesla of cows” and featured in media from Fast Company to the New York Times, Mootral’s innovative feed supplement represents a huge opportunity for dairy lovers, agriculture, the offset market and businesses globally.
Mootral and Brades’ ‘less CO2W burps’ milk is used in all GAIL’s dairy coffees and is available to purchase for at-home use in-store or via the grocery section of GAIL’s online: https://gailsbread.co.uk/order/
Coffee shops interested in stocking the Mootral and Brades Farm’s ‘less CO2W burps’ milk can get in touch with Brades Farm directly, or if based in London, diary supplier Allan Reeder, to find out more.
- *1.5 billion cows in the world, collectively produce 4.6 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per year.
- 39.1% of these emissions stem from the enteric digestive process. Mootral Ruminant reduces these CO2 emissions by 30% on average.
- If every cow was fed Mootral for a year, 539,580,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent would not be emitted (4.6 gigatonnes x 0.391 x 0.3).
- According to an IPCC report, the average tested emissions of 2011 Light Duty Vehicles in Europe is 136 gCO2/km.
- According to Odyssee-Mure, the average distance travelled per car per year in the EU in 2018 was 12,000 km/year.
- This means one car in the EU emits an average of 1.632 tonnes of CO2 per year ((12,000 x 136) / 1,000,000) = 1.632 tonnes).
- If 539,580,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent are not emitted each year, that would be equivalent to taking 330,625,000 cars off the road (539,580,000/1.632 = 330,625,000).
**Approved by Verra (the official body that oversees verified carbon standards).
Verra is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that manages standards for reducing GHG emissions, improving livelihoods and protecting natural resources. Its leading portfolio of standards includes the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the preeminent standard used by the voluntary carbon market with 1,400 registered projects in 80 countries, and the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards with more than a hundred registered projects worldwide.
The Mootral story so far
Mootral Ruminant is the product of years of laboratory research by Neem Biotech, an innovative biotech research facility, which led to the formation of the spinout company Mootral. After years of careful testing in the lab and in the field and as recently featured in the New York Times, this natural supplement has been shown to cut farmers herds’ emissions by up to 38% and increase yield in a natural, scalable way. The result of which could offer one of the simplest and fastest ways to cut a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions. The same team has also now made it possible to create ‘CowCredits’.
Thomas Hafner is the CEO of Mootral, the company he founded in 2018 with his wife Carin Beumer, who is on the Board of Directors. The pair are also Co-Founders of life science venture firm Zaluvida Ventures, and respectively the Chairman and Director of Neem Biotech, the innovation and incubation platform for a growing portfolio of groundbreaking therapeutic solutions in the space of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and rare diseases. Thomas Hafner has more than 27 years of experience as a life sciences entrepreneur, with experience of fostering successful businesses and unique products in consumer health, Biotech and Agritech.
A CowCredit is a branded term for a carbon credit. It equals a reduction of one tonne of CO2 equivalent. What makes it special to the usual carbon credits on the market is that it is based on emissions from cattle and can be produced locally. CowCredits are a measurable, independently verified, and fully traceable way to tackle global warming in one’s own neighbourhood, region or country. They are also tradable commodities in the rapidly expanding carbon offset market. CowCredits carry the added value of good corporate and social behaviour and incremental consumer satisfaction as the reduction can be achieved in one’s own supply chain. The company is confident that each new investment in Mootral, CowCredits and feed will help organisations publicly demonstrate their commitment to tackling climate change – one of the top priorities for consumers and shareholders across the planet.
