Dairy farmers keen to tackle the carbon footprint
The heat was on at the first day of the first IDF Dairy Farming Summit in Edinburgh. The 250 participants from 40 countries met to discuss the impact of the carbon footprint of dairying According to FAO calculations 18 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the world are related to the livestock sector.
Although the dairy sector is not the biggest polluter, measures have to been taken. Farm management methods have a large impact on the carbon footprint Pierre Gerber of the FAO pointed out.
The production of one liter of milk creates at least one kg of CO2 equivalent. Emission of methane and nitrogen oxide causes the main problems.
There is a great dilemma. On the one hand the dairy sector has to feed a rapidly growing population, which asks for dairy products.
Up to the year 2050 production has to be doubled. On the other hand already now the production causes environmental problems. Measures need to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There wasn’t an answer to this dilemma, but the participants were convinced that the dairy sector should solve both problems.
Especially the participating farmers where keen on solutions. They exist, but the experts at the conference said the solutions are yet in an early stage.
Don’t walk away from the problem
‘You cannot turn your back and walk away from the problem’, John Gilliland, chairman of the Rural Climate Change Forum in Northern Ireland said at the climate change conference in Edinburgh on June 25th.
He pleaded for more funds for research on solving the problem of global warming. ‘We don’t have the tools in the toolkit . And we need them as soon as possible.’ Gilliland, who is a farmer, concluded that the governments have taken their financial hands off research.
But research is more necessary than ever. Measures and solutions should be taken on facts and good science, John Gilliland said. That knowledge is missing now.
He is convinced that if the scientists and the dairy sector worked together they would solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions and feeding the world. ’Agriculture is the solution, not the guilty part.’
All over the world farmers face the problem of global warming. In five films shown at the First IDF Dairy Farming Summit the participants of the conference could see and hear the differences .
For example in Egypt climate change is at the end of the list of problems. The Egyptians are far more concerned about sufficient food and water supply, dairy producer Walid El-Sherbiny explained in the film. And in Brazil price and milk quality are the main concerns. Greenhouse gases in combination with agriculture is not being discussed, dairy farmer Roberto Jank said.
On the other hand US dairy farmer John Noble is very well aware of the environmental problems his 1,650 cows cause. He tries to find a balance between economics and ecology. For consumers this is a big issue.
And in The Netherlands dairy farmers focus on solutions. Kees Gorter produces energy from the cows’ manure, reducing methane emissions at the same time. He provides electricity for his farm and for another 1,500 households.
Differences around the world
All over the world farmers face the problem of global warming. In five films shown at the First IDF Dairy Farming Summit the participants of the conference could see and hear the differences.
For example in Egypt climate change is at the end of the list of problems. The Egyptians are far more concerned about sufficient food and water supply, dairy producer Walid El- Sherbiny explained in the film. And in Brazil price and milk quality are the main concerns.
Greenhouse gases in combination with agriculture is not being discussed, dairy farmer Roberto Jank said.
On the other hand US dairy farmer John Noble is very well aware of the environmental problems his 1,650 cows cause. He tries to find a balance between economics and ecology.
For consumers this is a big issue. And in The Netherlands dairy farmers focus on solutions. Kees Gorter produces energy from the cows’ manure, reducing methane emissions at the same time. He provides electricity for his farm and for another 1,500 households.
High milk yield, low carbon footprint
Small dairy farms with a low milk production per cow have the highest carbon footprint. Intensive large farms with a high milk yield per cow have the lowest carbon footprint.
This is the outcome of a survey made by the International Farm Comparison Network, a group of dairy economists. Torsten Hemme presented the preliminary results at the First Dairy Farming Summit in Edinburgh.
An average farmer in Peru with 6 cows has a CO2 emission of 190 ppm per kg weight. An average farmer in the USA with 1,700 cows reaches almost 110 ppm.
When it comes to costs, it’s the opposite. Dairy farmers with the highest production have the highest costs. There are big differences
in the world. In India, for example, the cost is six dollars per 100 kg milk, in Switzerland it’s ten times more.
Lowering the carbon footprint increases the cost. On the other hand, if you reduce the costs the carbon footprint will increase. Both are a problem, Torsten Hemme stated.
Warning for legislation
Maggie Gill, chief scientific adviser for rural affairs and environment of the Scottish government draw the audience’s attention with a warning. If the dairy sector won’t do anything about the greenhouse gas emissions, the governments will come with legislations. She didn’t say it out loud, but her warning was still clear: the dairy sector is better off by taking the initiative in this issue.
She was honest in saying that the scientists don’t know what the most appropriate measures are for the problem. Professor Gill suggested that scientists, farmers and the dairy industry should form groups to find the best measures.
Animal diseases
Dr. Gideon Brückner, deputy director general of the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE), said that climate change is a threat to animal health. The outbreak of Blue tongue in Western Europe was probably caused by sandstorms in Northern Africa. They blew the midges to the north. The heavy storms were caused by climate change.
He underlined that there are many factors for the outbreak of diseases. Climate change is one of them, but there are many more. On top is the rapidly increasing travelling. He predicted new diseases due to the climate change, but on the other hand diseases will disappear. The greatest danger are zoonotic diseases, which spring from animal to man.
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