Help is needed to make bio-digesters a success
The bio-digester was a top issue at the second day of the IDF Dairy Farming Summit in Edinburgh. Making biogas out of manure is one of the main concrete measures farmers can take to reduce methane emissions.
David Homer, chairman of IDF-UK concluded at the end of the day that dairy farmers need the politicians’ help to support bio-digesters. The material that comes out of the digester should get a recognition as fertilizer and not as waste. In most parts of the world bio-digesters cost money. There should be a situation where the farmer earns money from making energy out of manure. At the same time reducing greenhouse gases. Having a bio-digester requires a special skill. Farmers should be aware of that, Dutch dairy farmer Kees Gorter said.
Another conclusion of the Summit was that farmers should be encouraged to hold energy audits. These can identify opportunities to conserve energy and save money. Energy was one of the issues the 250 participants discussed at the conference. Greenhouse gases, shortage of water, biodiversity and pollution were other issues. They are all consequences of the climate change.
There was global agreement that this is a problem for dairy farming. ‘We realise that the heat is on. A theme of extreme importance’, David Homer said. But he was positive about the future. ‘Dairy farmers are incredibly adaptable.’
All over the world farmers care about biodiversity
Dairy farmers care about biodiversity. That was the outcome of a discussion at the IDF Dairy Farming Summit about biodiversity and deforestation.
An inquiry in the room showed that the participants from around the world told us that nature has to be preserved. Among dairy farmers there is no doubt about it. They care about biodiversity, but it is not always on the top of their list.
When it comes to deforestation the whole world is looking at Brazil. Pedro Arcuri of Embrapa Gado de Leite explained that the expansion of dairy farming is not the cause of the cutting down of the rain forest. Dairying follows the people which settle in those regions. He presented agro-forestry, a new form of dairy farming in which planting trees and growing grass go hand in hand. The government supports those new livestock systems.
With no water anymore, will dairy farmers move?
Thanks to the engaging moderators Ulf Wickbom (picture) and David Homer there were 115 questions from the floor
In ten to fifteen years dairy farming might no longer exist in Saudi Arabia, because of the shortage of water. Russel Wards from Al-Safi Dairy in Saudia Arabia predicted this at the IDF Dairy Farming Summit.
Already now wheat producers are going out of business because of the water shortage, and dairy farms might follow. The Saudi Arabians might have to move their production to other countries. This prediction underlines the fact that dairy farming is also affected by the climate change.
Not only Saudi Arabia have big problems with water. The Jordan participant Mohammad Al Khateeb said that the farmers had to pump water up from 700 meters today. Last year it was from 400 meters.
There are other regions that suffer. In Australia water security is on the top of the list for dairy farmers. ‘Climate change is visible.’ Despite this problem Stephen Coats from Dairy Australia Ltd is convinced that dairy farmers will manage.
Concern about water availability is growing, David Homer concluded. ‘There will be a competition between human consumption and the need for food production.
Cars will drive on cow methane
Next year a truck in California will drive on compressed methane gas made out of manure. This was one of the new solutions participants heard about at the First IDF Dairy Farming Summit.
Paul Martin, director of environmental services of Western United Dairymen announced the new step farmers will take to solve the problem of greenhouse gases; in this case methane. He was very keen on it, because of the good possibilities to promote dairy farming. ‘We can say to the consumers that we provide them with important nutrition and with fuel too.’
Working on solutions
All over the world scientists and farmers are working on solutions for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. The participants got an overview of what’s happening in the world. In China there is research on improvements of the feed ration of the cow. Different feeding schemes gave different outputs of gases. In New Zealand scientists are looking for bacteria which can ‘eat’ the methane in the cow stomachs. The feed can also be altered, so that the cows produce less gases.
Several countries look for opportunities through breeding. One cow produces much more methane than another. Researchers trying to find sires, which sire less methane. And by genomics they look for the gene that can reduce methane. Replacing low productive cows for high productive
ones might be another answer.
A film from Israel showed a system in which manure was composted and used in the shed, where as bedding for the cows. There was almost no ammonia emission.
CO2 market
Another solution could be a system of emission rights. There is such a system for CO2-rights in the industry. It’s a quota system that prevents the growth of greenhouse gases. Dairy farmers can sell their rights to others planning to expand. The introduction of such a carbon right market for dairy farming is
being discussed in several countries.
Positive feeling
Hearing about these solutions, the Summit agreed that dairy farming can solve the problems at hand. Participants suggested that dairy farmers should communicate better. They should be aware of the problems, but work on innovative solutions. A new word was introduced: precision dairy farming. This word better expresses what modern farmers are doing than the word intensive farming.
What did you learn today?
 |
‘I was aware of the necessity of water for dairy farming, but I didn’t know it had such a big impact for farmers in other regions. In our country water is not an issue.’
Pablo Capellino, farm manager with 9,000 cows in 34 parlors in the Rafaela area, Argentina
|
 |
‘The issue of climate change and dairy farming is very complicated, more so than I thought. And it differs around the world. We have to look for the tools, but we also have to communicate better.’
Sylviane Robinet, journalist of Reussir/La Revue Laitiére in France |
Quote of the day
‘Nowadays agriculture is on the front page of every newspaper. The world now realizes and recognizes how important agriculture is. The people need us and they have to do it with us.’
Allan Burgess, Australian Dairy Farmers
|