Episode 1: Trust, Spit, Milk, Climate: Frank Mitloehner

Shared Table Episode 1 One table to another exploring conversations rooted in connection, leadership, purpose, animals and making life better. I’m a big believer in tables – they symbolize the vision we have at Elanco – Food & Companionship Enriching Life. From our pets under the table to the protein and dairy on the table – from meals to meetings, community and connection to crucial questions with colleagues, friends and family. There’s something incredibly powerful when we sit down, slow down – share a meal and get to know one another more. This monthly newsletter is going to more deeply explore Shared Table - conversations rooted in connection, leadership, purpose, animals and making life better. Our first Shared Table conversation is more relevant than ever. The topic is in headlines every week and will really heat up this fall with United Nations Climate Week and COP 29 around the corner. I sat down with Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., Director, UC Davis CLEAR Center, Department of Animal Science – aka the Greenhouse Gas or GHG Guru. In fact, we were sitting at a table supported on two rather large hay bales in the UC Davis dairy research barn to talk about the next $1-2 billion animal health market – livestock sustainability. Mitloehner talked about what led him to the Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research – or CLEAR Center – at UC Davis. It aims to provide clear, science-based information about food production and its impact on the environment. He also highlighted the need for farmers to be more open about their work, as consumers are increasingly interested in how their food is produced. With this important framework in mind, the conversation shifted to livestock sustainability and the role of new technologies in this space like Bovaer, a first-in-class methane reducing feed ingredient for use in lactating dairy cattle, that recently completed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration review. The dairy world has an opportunity to continue their tradition of conservation and impact methane in a meaningful way. What excites me the most from this conversation is the clarity Mitloehner has around the path to climate neutral animal agriculture this decade. One of the greatest needs: new tools. We’re excited by the way Bovaer will be able to create value for farmers, for consumers and for the environment. With 500,000 cows already enrolled to track their footprint and the first CPG contracts in final stages, the dairy industry is about to take another big step toward their goal. #SharedTable #WeAreElanco #Sustainability #AnimalAgriculture Links Frank’s Linkedin UC Davis Clear Center Frank’s X Bovaer Jeff’s Linkedin Elanco 00:00 Moments that Matter 00:35 Frank Mitloehner 1:47 Exposure to Animal Agriculture 2:50 Academic Choices 3:25 Unexpected Acceptance 4:15 Connection to Animals 5:24 Influence of Family 6:56 PhD Study and Focus on Sustainability 7:40 Challenges in Promoting Sustainability 8:19 Perception of Sustainability in Agriculture 9:40 Importance of Farming 10:23 Supporting Farmers 11:22 The Next Generation 14:00 The CLEAR Center 16:50 Agriculture and Environmental Challenge 18:22 Creating a Revolution 21:21 The California Agenda for Climate Neutral Farming 24:33 Incentive-Based Approach