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Mesta, a company created by Pascual Innoventures and 7r, and Carbon2Nature, a new firm launched by Iberdrola España to reduce the global carbon footprint through nature-based solutions, are joining forces to promote decarbonisation in the primary sector. They will reduce methane emissions due to the enteric fermentation process in livestock farming through a strategic alliance which, in turn, will provide strong social and economic support to the agri-food industry.

Thanks to this agreement, both companies will co-develop an innovative pilot project focused on acting on methane emissions, a greenhouse gas with an impact 80 times greater than CO₂ over a period of 20 years and a permanence in the atmosphere of more than a decade. Specifically, the project has a first phase of implementation where it is estimated that 600 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) emitted by cows on several of Pascual's supplier farms will be eliminated. The initiative is planned to evolve and expand to other livestock farms with the aim of exceeding 5,000 tonnes of CO₂ e avoided by 2025. 

The programme is based on improving the cows' feed, while maintaining their productivity and welfare. Dairy cows will receive precision feeding through a specific feed supplement that achieves a 10% to 20% reduction in methane emissions from enteric fermentation.

These reductions will be certified by accredited entities and registered as carbon equivalent credits that can be purchased by companies committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of the primary sector. These credits will be traceable to their origin thanks to the blockchain technology of Trinity AgTech and certified by EQA.

In this regard, Diego Paradinas, CEO of MESTA, points out that "this alliance between two leading companies, which share the same business philosophy, allows us to move forward in building a more prosperous and sustainable future. We have made a joint commitment to position ourselves as drivers of change".

Miguel Ángel García Tamargo, director of Carbon2Nature, points out that, "this project is part of our line of innovation to support emerging decarbonisation solutions with great potential for scalability thanks to carbon finance. Together with a benchmark in the dairy sector such as Pascual, this pilot allows us to address an important source of emissions that is difficult to eliminate and which to date has received little research and funding. Its success will bring significant benefits to the agricultural sector by helping to decouple its climate impact from production.  

Currently, the project is implemented in six farms located in the provinces of León, Lugo, Palencia and Pontevedra which, in addition to making a significant contribution to reducing the impact of the agri-food sector, also serve as social and economic support for their local communities. In this way, the project is also positioned as a tool to promote the transformation and revitalisation of rural areas.

The power of collaboration to accelerate the ecological transition

In a context of climate emergency, it is essential to work together with leading companies that share values and objectives, as is the case of the strategic alliance reached by Mesta and Carbon2Nature, which are backed by leading companies in their sectors and with a firm commitment to sustainability.

Thus, in the case of Carbon2Nature, the new company promoted by Iberdrola España was created with the mission of developing high impact carbon capture and emission reduction projects that reduce the global carbon footprint, improve biodiversity and promote a sustainable economy.

A purpose it shares with Mesta, a partnership between Pascual Innoventures and 7R Ventures, which has become the first platform in Spain aimed at companies that want to reduce or offset their emissions with local projects and short-term impact.

Thanks to the experience, the high degree of specialisation and the strong commitment of both companies to local funding and the implementation of highly traceable actions, the project is expected to evolve substantially in the coming years.

About Pascual Innoventures

Pascual Innoventures is the open innovation arm of Pascual and dives into the entrepreneurial ecosystem to create partnerships with startups that share the same philosophy; anticipating global food needs and presenting it to society. The aim is to provide the consumer with a memorable experience and, at the same time, contribute to the survival of our beautiful planet. 

It was created as a different model of Corporate Venture Capital to identify and develop new growth and business opportunities. It is a commitment of the Pascual family, created as an independent company, which works autonomously, more agile, but shares the same vision and values as the company. 

We have four pillars: Explore, Invent, Invest and Accelerate. Our goal is to help startups develop to grow hand in hand. We are not only an investment vehicle, but also an accelerator partner that will accompany them throughout the process, from the development of the idea or business, to the search for other investors. 

Mylkcubator, the first global incubator focused on the detection and development of highly innovative startups specialised in the application of new technologies to the dairy industry value chain, was born out of Pascual Innoventures and is now in its second edition.

About Carbon2Nature

Carbon2Nature is a company wholly owned by Iberdrola España that promotes Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) projects to reduce the global carbon footprint, promote biodiversity and foster a sustainable economy. Its objective is to capture and fix in natural sinks more than 60 million tonnes of CO₂ thanks to the promotion of ecosystem conservation and restoration projects in more than 100,000 hectares, mainly forests, but also coastal and agricultural ecosystems. 

Carbon2Nature capitalises on the potential of carbon credit markets, driving the development of in-house or collaborative projects that will generate high quality carbon credits, which Carbon2Nature will make available to its clients to support them on their path to net zero emissions, complementing ambitious decarbonisation strategies.