Zoetis and Danone recently announced a joint business development plan to drive sustainable practices on today’s dairy farms through the power of genetics for healthier cows. Combining Danone’s commitment to environmental stewardship with Zoetis’ expertise in animal genetics, the partnership aims to innovate the dairy industry’s approach to breeding for sustainability.

The plan between the two companies is intended to enable Danone to leverage Zoetis’ cutting-edge genetic technologies globally. The focus is on integrating sustainable practices into dairy genetics and selection, emphasizing animal well-being, reducing environmental impact, and promoting long-term resilience in dairy farming.

“Collaborative partnerships allow us to harmonize genetic innovation with sustainable practices. Through our partnership with Danone, we intend to leverage our respective expertise to set new benchmarks for healthier herds that contribute to a sustainable future for the dairy industry,” said Wafaa Mamilli, EVP, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, and Group President for China, Brazil, and Precision Animal Health at Zoetis.

As part of its commitment to equip dairy producers with innovative solutions to help them meet their sustainability goals, Zoetis’ genetic testing solutions and expertise provide the ability to predict an animal’s susceptibility to costly diseases and potential to remain healthy and productive over its lifetime - aligning with Danone’s ambition to support dairy production that prioritizes environmental resiliency.

“We really look forward to embarking with Zoetis on this journey. Together, we are committed to utilizing genomic testing as an important tool for incorporating sustainability at its core. This partnership aligns with our vision of creating positive change throughout the dairy value chain,” said Jean-Yves Krummenacher, Chief Procurement Officer at Danone.

Impacts of Genetics on Dairy Sustainability

Zoetis became a member of Danone’s global Partner for Growth program in 2023 as the preferred provider for genetic testing on dairy farms, specifically leveraging the Dairy Wellness Profit Index^® (DWP$^®) from CLARIFIDE^® Plus. Only available through CLARIFIDE Plus, DWP$ is a multi-trait animal ranking selection index that reveals the value of critical wellness traits, including cow and calf wellness, production, fertility, functional type, longevity, livability, calving ability and milk quality traits, plus polled test results. Through this unique and comprehensive selection index, Zoetis can estimate the potential lifetime profit that Holstein and Jersey cattle will contribute to a dairy operation. Incorporating DWP$ into breeding and culling decisions helps dairy farmers create future generations of healthy, resilient animals capable of higher lifetime profit when combined with best management practices.¹

Zoetis brings innovation to the application of genetic testing by connecting how genetic improvements can help farmers work toward improving environmental, resource, and operational sustainability outcomes. Recent studies analyzing animal performance, genomic data, and financial records clearly indicate the potential benefits for sustainability, methane reduction, farm profitability, and animal welfare.² Thus helping dairy producers to improve sustainable production practices over time while enhancing animal health and farm performance .^2,†

The partnership aspires to positively impact the environment, increase cow longevity, improve farm resilience, and meet the increasing consumer demand for sustainably sourced dairy products. Visit ClarifidePlus.com to learn more about Zoetis' comprehensive portfolio of dairy genetic solutions.

About Zoetis

As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness for more than 70 years, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide – from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock farmers and ranchers. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $8.5 billion in 2023 with approximately 14,100 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

^† This is based on generally accepted calculation (not actual measurement of methane emissions).

¹ Fessenden, B., et al. Validation of genomic predictions for a lifetime merit selection index for the US dairy industry.
J Dairy Sci. 2020;103(11):10414-10428.

² Di Croce F. Championing a Healthier, More Sustainable Future Through Genetics, July 2022; Zoetis Inc.

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