With the support of the Nature Conservancy, businesses can build solutions that are both ecologically and economically beneficial while producing dairy products that customers can feel good about, according to a Roadmap for a Sustainable Dairy System.
Farmers, milk cooperatives, processors, and retailers may use the Roadmap as a reference as they work to strengthen their supply chains and meet their water, climate, and biodiversity goals. It was established using scientific data on milk production techniques.
Ensuring the Future of Our Planet
“Ag and food sectors are increasingly realizing that a safe food supply chain is dependent on clean water and a stable climate.
When it comes to environmental sustainability, the dairy sector in the United States is setting an example by working toward a set of goals that include cleaner water, maximum recycling, as well as carbon neutrality by 2050.”
On the ground, the dairy sector is already demonstrating its commitment to a long-term future that is both sustainable and profitable.
A group of dairy farmers in Wisconsin wants to enhance soil health and water quality via agricultural conservation methods. Cover crops and minimal tillage are two methods to help retain carbon in the soil.
USA: Growing a National Industry
In June 2021, we joined the Net Zero Initiative of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to help dairy producers throughout the country. Together, we deploy innovative technology and environmentally-friendly practices that are also financially advantageous.
An ultimate goal is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions while reducing water consumption and improving water quality by 2050. These steps will help our brands like Carnation achieve their long-term sustainability goals.
Many of our American suppliers, like Jon Rebeiro, farm manager at Trinkler Dairy, our first net-zero demonstration farms in the United States, are already on board. We employ a lot of ecological measures on the farm, and all of our cow dung is either used to fertilize crops or dried and used as bedding.”
South Africa: Self-Sufficiency Pioneer
Nestlé had already conducted a comparable pilot in George, South Africa, on the Skimmelkrans farm, one year before the German debut. Cow dung is collected, crushed, and divided into solids and liquids at Skimmelkrans and two farms.
Less methane is emitted into the atmosphere because the solids are composted, and the liquids are applied to pastures as irrigation. By recycling manure and cultivating their feed instead of relying on outside sources, Skimmelkrans is part of a biodiverse environment.
They also conserve water. As a consequence of all these methods, the farm’s cows receive better care and food, and the dairy products they create are healthier for customers and the environment.
Germany: Realistic Emission Reduction Solutions
There are a variety of practical solutions used on the farms we collaborate with within other countries, just as there are in the United States. Through nutrient recovery, cow dung may be used to fertilize crops efficiently and effectively.
With today’s cutting-edge technology and better nutrition for cows, methane, a strong greenhouse gas, may be caught and decreased. A sprinkler system used to cool the cows recycles the wastewater produced on farms, which is then utilized to irrigate the crops.
Nestle’s first “climate dairy farm” will open in Germany toward the end of 2021 on the Frese family’s 220-hectare farm in northern Hesse, Germany. It will take Nestlé Germany three years to help Hochwald, the farm that produces the mozzarella cheese for Wagner’s pizzas and has 135 cows, reaches net zero.
The Dairy Roadmap and U.K. Net-Zero
will set a baseline level of improvement throughout the whole dairy industry in support of the dairy industry’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent global warming
At Net Zero, the climate ambition document sets out a series of scientifically sound and evidence-based objectives for the sector to meet and an implementation plan. According to the climate ambition report, we must:
AHDB’s Dairy Sector Director, Paul Flanagan, stated: “The strength of the Dairy Roadmap lies in the breadth of individuals and organizations working towards similar aims.
We have working groups involving farmers, processors, merchants, and data businesses. We’ve already made significant progress in decreasing our environmental impact in the dairy industry, and we must not be afraid to tell that narrative.