M&S invests £1m in tackling methane from burping and farting cows

The retailer is working with all 40 of the pasture-grazed dairy farmers in its supply base with the aim of cutting 11,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually produced by cattle burps and manure.

It said giving the cows a feed supplement derived from mineral salts and a byproduct of fermented corn would help prevent the animals’ digestive enzymes from forming methane and reduce the carbon footprint of its main fresh milk by 8.4%.

M&S said it was setting up a £1m accelerator fund for its ethical project Plan A, working in partnership with longstanding and new suppliers to find novel ways of achieving net zero carbon emissions.