Can Worms Help Clean Up Dairy’s Methane Problem?

Danone and Leprino Foods deploy BioFiltro systems to curb manure methane and reuse water, translating corporate climate goals into measurable farm-level impact

16 Dec 2025

A partnership between Danone and Leprino Foods is deploying farm-level waste treatment systems on US dairies in an effort to cut methane emissions from manure and translate corporate climate targets into operational change.

The companies are working with BioFiltro, which provides a nature-based system that treats liquid manure before methane forms. The move comes as dairy producers face growing pressure from regulators, customers and investors to show measurable progress on emissions.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and liquid manure is one of the largest sources of agricultural methane. On many dairies, waste is stored in open lagoons, where methane is released as organic material breaks down. BioFiltro’s system alters that process by diverting wastewater through organic filter beds containing worms and microbes, which break down the waste earlier in the cycle.

The treated water can then be reused for irrigation, reducing both emissions and freshwater demand. BioFiltro describes the approach as a way to convert waste into a usable resource rather than a liability.

Danone said its first project, planned for a California dairy, could eliminate most methane emissions linked to liquid manure storage once fully operational in 2026. The company estimates the system could avoid about 40,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year and allow the reuse of roughly 0.7bn litres of water annually.

For Leprino Foods, a major supplier of dairy ingredients, the project supports efforts to reduce the climate footprint of milk sourced from US farms, which account for a large share of its supply chain emissions.

California has emerged as a testing ground for such technologies as tighter state methane rules push producers to look beyond conventional lagoon upgrades. The initiative also reflects a broader shift in the dairy sector, from long-term climate pledges to interventions that can be measured at farm level.

Companies involved acknowledge that challenges remain, including cost, operational complexity and the ability to scale systems across a fragmented industry. Even so, interest is growing as dairies seek alternatives to methane-intensive manure management.

As scrutiny of agricultural emissions increases, projects that deliver verifiable reductions at the farm gate are becoming central to efforts to build a lower-emissions dairy industry.