Dutch dairy alternatives producer Willicroft has published a product emissions report comparing the environmental impact of its plant-based cheeses and butter to equivalent dairy products.
The results take into account agricultural processes, production, packaging, transportation, and end-of-life for packaging. They show that Willicroft cheeses produce up to 25 times fewer carbon emissions than their dairy equivalents; for example, Willicroft Greek White generates just 1.26 kg of CO2 equivalent per kilogram, while traditional feta produces 34.1 kg. The brand’s butter alternative, Original Better, produces 2.48 kg CO2-eq/kg, compared to 16.9 kg for dairy butter.
Furthermore, many of the products have lower emissions than dairy alternatives made by other plant-based brands. Original Better outperforms an Upfield butter alternative, and is roughly on par with Naturli’s organic spread.
Transition to beans
Willicroft’s products were originally made with cashews, but these have a relatively high carbon footprint compared to other plant-based ingredients. In 2020, the brand told vegconomist it was planning to transition from cashews to beans to reduce emissions. Beans were chosen as they have a suitable nutritional profile, a relatively neutral taste, and can be grown in or near the Netherlands.
Just one Willicroft product, Italian Aged, is now made with cashews; these account for 86% of the product’s emissions, which stand at 7.99 kg CO2-eq/kg. However, the cheese alternative still has less than half the emissions of conventional Parmesan, which generates 17.7 kg CO2-eq/kg.
Advancing towards a sustainable food industry
Willicroft became the first European plant-based cheese B Corp in 2022, and claims to be the highest-scoring cheese or butter B Corp worldwide. The same year, the company raised €2 million to expand its range into new European markets.
In November 2023, Willicroft announced the development of its new legume-based butter alternative, along with a crowdfunding campaign to support the product’s launch. Following the publication of the new report, the company now plans to reduce its emissions even more.
“By measuring our impact, we have gained invaluable insights into how to reduce our footprint further,” says Willicroft on its website. “Through integrating the findings of this report, we can improve our ways of working and play a role in advancing towards a more sustainable food industry!”
