Sodexo Sweden Pilots Climate Solution Together with Farm
Johnny Sandberg - Press photo Sodexo
Nearly all food companies today have set ambitious climate targets and aim to reduce the carbon footprint of their products. Since approximately 85% of these emissions originate from farms, companies cannot realistically meet their climate goals without addressing on-farm emissions and supporting farmers in their reduction efforts. Sodexo is a front-runner acting on this challenge.
Pathways to Reducing Emissions on Farms
Farmers have a variety of tools to cut emissions, tools which are already being implemented by many. Some practices, such as optimizing feed utilization, avoiding excess protein in diets, and improving manure management, often come at little or no extra cost. However, some impactful interventions do require investment. Ranked from lowest to highest cost per ton of CO₂e reduced, these include:
Methane-reducing feed additives
Renewable electricity
Biogas plants
Biodiesel (HVO)
Fossil-free fertilizers
With tight financial margins, it is unrealistic to expect farmers to shoulder these costs alone without higher product prices—something not guaranteed in today’s market. That leaves two viable solutions: either governments subsidize the measures (as they already do in some cases), or food companies invest in them directly and receive the right to account for the associated emission reductions. This article demonstrates, with a real-world example, that the latter is already happening.
The project is reducing emissions from milk
A real-world example
Over the past six months, Sodexo has partnered with Volta Greentech to compensate for the emissions from dairy products served in some of their restaurants in Södertälje and Gothenburg. By introducing methane-reducing feed additives, the project aims to cut approximately 75 tons of CO₂e annually. The amount of methane-reduced milk produced is matched to the amount of milk in the products served in the selected restaurants.
Volta Greentech’s role is to identify suitable farmers, coordinate the use of feed additives, and quantify the resulting emission reductions. For this project, dairy farmer Kristian Gustafsson on Gotland began using the feed additive in June. To date, the collaboration has cut 25 tons of CO₂e, and the project remains on track to meet its target by year-end. The emission reductions are attributed to Sodexo by demonstrating causality—showing that the intervention would not have been possible without their financial contribution.
Press photo TV4, Bonde Söker Fru. Kristian participated in the program season 2022.
Voices from the farm
Kristian Gustafsson and his wife Kristin manage Skradarve farm on Gotland, home to around 180 dairy cows and 250 hectares of farmland. They have long prioritized climate-friendly practices. When asked why he adopted methane-reducing feed additives, Kristian explained:
“I’m convinced that this is the direction we’re heading in to cut emissions. This is one way to do it, and it will become part of the standard toolkit. I believe it will eventually be a requirement to use some form of methane-reducing additive.”
On the question of cost, he added:
“Farmers simply don’t have the margins to pay for this ourselves. Either food companies invest and adjust their prices, or governments provide subsidies. Ultimately, the cost has to be passed on to consumers.”
Kristian also emphasized the importance of food companies openly communicating their climate commitments to customers. He compared it to the car industry, where companies highlight competitive advantages like safety, fuel efficiency, or climate performance.
What Sodexo Sweden says
At the selected Sodexo restaurants in Södertälje and Gothenburg, thousands of meals are served daily, with Sodexo providing all on-site services. Dairy products represent a significant share of the restaurants’ carbon footprint.
“It’s exciting to take another step toward reducing our climate footprint by addressing one of the most climate-intensive challenges in food production—methane emissions from cows. Many of our employees and guests still prefer dairy products, and they want to continue seeing a broad and inclusive range of choices rather than products disappearing. That’s why it feels good to compensate for some of the emissions in items like milk, cheese, cream, and other dairy-based meals,” said Johnny Sandberg, Sustainability Lead Corporate Services at Sodexo.
The takeaway message
The takeaway is clear: it is already feasible for food companies to invest in on-farm interventions that reduce emissions. More companies can follow Sodexo’s path to ensure climate targets are met. Being able to attribute reductions from farm-level practices to companies within the supply chain is a major step forward. The next milestone will be updating the carbon footprint of these products, allowing companies to integrate verified reductions into their Scope 3 inventories—a step expected to be possible as early as next year.
Want to learn more?
Contact Fredrik Åkerman at Volta Greentech
+46 70 770 86 33
fredrik@voltagreentech.com
