In 2016, California became the first state in the United States to introduce reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms. The official goal is to reduce emissions by 40 percent in 2030. Action is required now to meet that target, and so the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has initiated several activities and support programs to advance the development of climate smart agriculture.

According to Mette Sivebæk Knudsen, Senior Commercial Advisor at The Trade Council’s Food and Ag Team, the increased focus on lowering the environmental and climate impacts in California, which is leading dairy production in the U.S., boosts business opportunities for Danish companies.

A great example of how Danish technology can come into play is within manure management. Throughout the past decades, the Danish dairy sector has developed a strong focus on nutrient management and biogas production, which means that manure has gone from being a waste product to a valuable resource.

California accounts for about 20 percent of the US total milk production and host 1.8 million dairy cows, as compared to 1.6 million cattle in Denmark. The market opportunity is therefore significant.

“The way the Danish sector approaches manure management and biogas production is currently different than California practices. However, we experience great interest from California stakeholders, and the interest in resource optimization and circular processes are at an all-time high. Therefore, our most important task is to introduce Danish solution providers to California and bridge the gap between the markets. In order to do so, we need to share knowledge and create awareness at conferences like the California Dairy Sustainability Summit," Mette Sivebæk Knudsen, explains.

Like many events this year, The California Dairy Sustainability Summit has played off in a very different way than initially planned. Even though the Danish Pavilion, hosted by the Danish Agriculture and Food Council and The Trade Council, ended up as a virtual booth, the optimism among the participants remain the same. One of the companies that hope to benefit from attending the summit is the Danish biogas company, AMMONGAS.

The California Dairy Sustainability Summit presents an opportunity to highlight Danish know-how in biogas and renewable natural gas to show that monetizing organic fractions by making biogas helps society, preventing the release of climate change emissions, reducing air pollution, and creating thousands of jobs. With it, the vision of a greener world is one step closer.

Stéphane Bosc

Sales Engineer at AMMONGAS A/S

Over the last few years, the company has been working with The Trade Council in North America as a strategic partner. According to Stéphane Bosc joining forces with the local advisors presents a great opportunity to expand the network and increase awareness in the market.

"The cooperation with The Trade Council of Denmark has given us a structured and formalized contact with potential clients in the US. We can benefit from the Trade Council's network to put forward Danish solutions' high environmental technology standards,” Stéphane Bosc explains.

For the companies, the summit provides valuable insight into the market trends and sparks a dialogue with local farmers on solutions that contribute to climate smart agriculture transitions. Therefore, participating in summits like these is part of AMMONGAS’ plan to increase exports over the next few years.

Sharing best practices from Denmark is a great tool to introduce Danish solutions and increase interest – especially with a partner like California that is on the same journey towards a more sustainable industry. This was one of the core messages when Flemming Nør-Pedersen, Head of Department, Danish Agriculture, and Food Council, gave his key-note address last week’s summit.

California and Denmark share the overall policy goal of showing global leadership in reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses. Both Denmark and California are leading in agriculture and food production. Therefore, I look forward to the initiation of our new partnership, as it will increase our public and private cooperation within our value chain from farm to table.

Flemming Nør-Pedersen

Head of Department, Danish Agriculture and Food Council

Over the last few years, the Trade Council has been working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to cooperate about building the future dairy farm. The partnership strongly indicates that the California dairy industry welcomes Danish industry solutions.