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Global warming -

For a number of years now car manufacturers and airlines have been under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, since people often view them as the prime culprit when it comes to the world’s rising temperature.

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The meat industry -

The meat industry has also come under heavy fire for being a big contributor to climate change. Being a meat eater has gone out of fashion and vegetarianism is on the rise.

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The dairy industry and greenhouse gases -

One industry that has traditionally received less attention is the dairy industry. Yet in 2015 the industry’s emissions were equivalent to more than 1,700 million tonnes of CO2.

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The dairy industry and greenhouse gases -

That put the industry’s percentage contribution to global emissions at 3.4%, which came close to the contribution of aviation and shipping combined (3.6%).

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The dairy industry and greenhouse gases -

What's more, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the dairy cattle industry’s emissions increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015.

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Rising population -

This can be put down to the growing demand for milk, which in turn can be attributed to a rise in the global population. According to the FAO, in 2019 more than 80% of the world’s population (or six billion people) regularly consumed dairy products.

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The benefits of dairy -

And it’s not surprising that the demand for dairy is high: milk-based products are nutrient-rich foods that provide energy and good amounts of protein and micronutrients.

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How dairy farming is responsible -

But dairy farming unfortunately contributes to global warming in a very real way, because there are a number of greenhouse gases released at the different stages of the farming cycle.

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Greenhouse gases -

The main culprits are methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Methane is produced by the cows when they are digesting their food, and then when manure is harvested methane and nitrous oxides are released.

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Carbon dioxide -

These gases all contribute to global warming, but in different ways. The warming effect of carbon dioxide, for example, is relatively weak but can last for hundreds of thousands of years.

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Methane -

Methane, by contrast, has a much stronger but shorter-term warming effect. The warming effect of methane only lasts for around 10 years.

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Predictions -

According to a 2019 report by the FAO, the global population is expected to rise to 9.8 billion by 2050 and the demand for food is expected to double.

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The challenge -

The challenge faced by the dairy industry is to work out how it can reduce its carbon footprint while continuing to provide nourishment for the world’s population.

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Intensive vs. small-scale farming -

There is a sense among many farmers that there should be a move away from large-scale intensive farming towards small-scale farming.

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Benefits of small-scale farming -

Many feel that small-scale farming must be better for the environment because it is done with more regard for the land, it is better for animal welfare, and it is beneficial to local ecosystems.

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Benefits of intensive farming -

However, according to a sustainable livestock systems researcher at the University of Bristol, the carbon footprint from small-scale farming is almost always higher than that from intensive farming.

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Benefits of intensive farming -

This is because the amount of greenhouse gases produced by a cow is independent of how much milk it produces. Therefore if the amount of milk produced by a cow increases, the emissions per liter decline.

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Benefits of intensive farming -

There is also evidence, however, that intensive farming is only more environmentally-friendly if more wilderness is left unploughed during the farming process.

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Fertilizers -

Another way in which dairy farmers can reduce their carbon footprint is by storing manure and using it as a fertilizer, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers.

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Fertilizers -

Using manure as a fertilizer also helps to decrease emissions of ammonia, which are harmful to local ecosystems and can be broken down into nitrous oxides.

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Animal welfare -

Another recommendation for reducing dairy farming emissions is to focus more on the welfare of the cows. If fewer cows get sick and die young, the emissions per liter of milk are less.

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Animal welfare -

This recommendation features on McKinsey’s list of the top 15 measures for reducing farming emissions.

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Animal welfare -

This last recommendation has the added benefit of being a measure that all farmers are likely to be on board with, since it takes the welfare of their herd into concern as well as the planet.

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A mix of opinions -

As it stands, there are mixed feelings among farmers about their responsibility when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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The BBC study -

In 2020, a BBC journalist spoke to three farmers about how they view their role when it comes to climate change. She encountered three very different views.

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Responsibility -

The first farmer acknowledged that climate change is a very real problem and that farmers have a special responsibility when it comes to combating it.

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Conflicting views -

She also expressed the opinion, however, that the main concern of the industry is providing enough food for the world’s rapidly increasing population, and for that more animals are needed.

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Denial -

The second farmer felt that climate change is a myth and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not a responsibility that should be placed on farmers, who already have a raw deal.

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Action -

The final farmer, younger than the first two, recognized the existence of a real problem in climate change and was actively implementing measures to help reduce the carbon footprint of his farm.

Sources: (BBC) (The Guardian) (FAO)

See also: Floating gardens: Bangladesh's answer to climate change

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