Athian Announces the Availability of Scope 3 GHG Emission Reductions from AMMP Practices
Reductions are the result of a new protocol that rewards dairy farmers for AMMP adoption and supports the supply chain’s efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. [December 18, 2024] – Athian announced today that certified Scope 3 inset reductions are now available from practices implemented under its newest protocol – the alternative manure management program (AMMP) protocol. The practices within the AMMP protocol are high yielding in terms of greenhouse gas reductions and have potential to complement the existing goals many food companies have around improving soil and water quality. In addition, the barrier to entry can be low for U.S. dairy producers to implement, and be rewarded for, AMMP practices on their farms.
AMMP refers to changes in practices surrounding the collection, treatment and/or storage of manure to reduce the amount of methane (CH4) and/or nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted. When volatile manure solids are stored in anaerobic conditions, CH4 and N2O are produced. However, treating those solids in aerobic – or oxygen-rich – conditions, or depositing them on land as natural fertilizer, can reduce those emissions. Generally, emission reductions from AMMP practices range from 0.5 to 2.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) reductions per dairy cow per year.
“We see the AMMP protocol as a win-win-win opportunity for dairy,” said Kendra Tolley, chief product officer at Athian. “The protocol helps fund practice adoption among farmers, who are facing continuous economic pressures; it measurably reduces GHGs; and provides verified inset reductions for food companies looking to credibly reduce and report their Scope 3 emissions.”
Athian’s AMMP protocol includes the following eligible practices:
- Pasture-Based Management: Converting dairy operations to pasture-based or increasing time on pasture for the herd.
- Alternative Treatment/Storage: Composting manure on-site or collecting manure in pit storage to be emptied at least monthly.
- Scrape Collection: Converting to a scrape manure collection system in combination with an approved drying method, daily application to crop or pastureland, solid storage, an improved composting method or solid separation with filtration system.
- Solid Separation: Separating solids before depositing into an anaerobic environment combined with one of the practices approved for scrape manure collection.
When farmers implement these manure management practices, the emission reduction results are permanent as long as the practice is being implemented. Farmers already participating in the protocol practices are seeing multi-faceted benefits.
“The manure management changes we’ve made are better for the environment, better for the cows and better for the farm,” said Tony Louters, Owner of T&C Louters Dairy. “Many sustainable practices do not provide any financial incentive and being able to recoup some of the cost of implementing these practices makes them more viable for installation and continued use.”
Athian Protocol Development Process
Like all Athian protocols, the AMMP protocol was developed with scientific rigor. The collaborative process begins with protocol sponsors submitting a draft proposal, which is reviewed by the Athian Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) – a team of sustainability experts who deliberate the scientific evidence and integrity of the proposal.
Once a proposed protocol has made it through SAB review, it is sent for third-party validation during which an ANSI National Accreditation Board-accredited Validation and Verification Body audits the protocol against both Athian governance standards and ISO standards.
Food companies interested in purchasing Scope 3 inset GHG reductions generated from sustainability practices implemented on dairy farms, as well as any farmers interested in learning more about the AMMP protocol, can connect with Athian by completing the contact form on its website: athian.ag/contact.
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About Athian
Athian helps the livestock value chain capture and claim greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions by aggregating, verifying and certifying them, and then monetizing those reductions for farmers through the sale of the resulting insets. Athian’s platform is a secure software tool that simplifies data entry, upload, measurement and verification at scale, resulting in high-quality and credible GHG emission reductions that help satisfy Scope 3 goals and fund livestock producer sustainability measures. Athian is a High Alpha Innovation company based in Indianapolis, Ind. Learn how to join us in this effort at www.athian.ag.
