For decades, many big businesses have tried to go green by reducing their carbon emissions. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nike have made “net-zero” pledges over the years that promise to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they put into it. While some firms try to go carbon-neutral by reducing their emissions directly, others pay for carbon removal projects — such as planting trees or building solar panels — to offset emissions. 

But carbon dioxide isn’t the only threat faced by the earth’s atmosphere. Methane is another greenhouse gas that can be even more destructive, and a new startup called Windfall Bio is betting that companies will pay to reduce their methane emissions just like they’ve done for carbon. Windfall makes methane-eating microbes, called “mems,” that eat pollution and turn it into valuable fertilizer. Mems occur naturally in soil, but Windfall multiples and packages them for clients. “Our customers can be farmers, they can be dairy farmers who have access to cows [think cow farts], and they need to make fertilizer themselves. But we also work with customers in the oil and gas space who have waste methane from their day to day operations,” said Windfall CEO Josh Silverman.

Whole Foods Market is one of the startup’s latest customers. The popular grocery store chain is planning a pilot program with Windfall to help dairy farmers in its supply chain reduce their methane emissions. The deal allows Whole Foods to make climate-friendly claims for their milk and dairy products, which could draw in new customers who prioritize sustainability when grocery shopping. For Windfall, the deal is an opportunity to try its new technology in the real world and demonstrate its impact to other potential clients. 

Questions:

1. How could Whole Foods benefit from its partnership with Windfall? And what benefits could Windfall receive in return?
2. Do you think more companies should hire startups like Windfall to reduce their methane emissions? Why or why not?

Sources: Olick, Diana, “This Startup Will Sell Methane-Eating Microbes To Whole Foods,” CNBC, Aug. 13, 2024. Szkutak, Rebecca, “Deal Dive: Not All Climate Startups Are Focused on Carbon,” TechCrunch, April 13, 2024.