Fonterra defends use of controversial feed

New Zealand dairy company Fonterra responds to activists' criticism of the use of palm kernel, as a protest continues on a cargo vessel off Port Taranaki. Fonterra is defending its use of palm kernel by-products, in the face of a Greenpeace protest on a ship.

Five activists boarded the MV Great Motion, aiming to stop it unloading 10,000 tonnes of animal feed. The dairy cooperative says a palm kernel by-product makes up about 1 percent of the dairy cow diet and it's mainly used during drought.

A spokeswoman says Fonterra shares people's concerns about tropical deforestation and has made sure its supply is sustainable. She says the company buys the feed from a source which practises a no-burn policy and respects designated conservation areas. Read more...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.