Initiative for climate-friendly milk production shows first successes
Published: Wednesday, May 29th 2024, 14:30
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Milk production in Switzerland is to become more climate-friendly and resource-conserving. To this end, the milk processors and producers Emmi, Nestlé, ZMP and Aaremilch launched the "KlimaStaR Milch" initiative with the AgroCleanTech climate platform in 2022. It is showing initial success.
In the first two years since the initiative was launched, greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of milk have been reduced by an average of 4.9 percent, the "KlimaStaR Milch" alliance announced on Wednesday. This means that the first evaluations of the initiative have shown that emissions are significantly lower than previously assumed. Almost 230 farms are participating in the initiative.
According to the data, an important contribution to reducing the climate footprint in milk production is made by optimized and more grassland-oriented feeding, herd management and farmyard manure storage. In addition, farms are increasingly using biogas or solar systems to reduce emissions. Despite the reduced use of concentrated feed (-8.6%), the annual milk yield has remained the same, according to the report.
Clearly improved food competition
In order to conserve resources, farmers are striving to improve competition for food and land. This means that less food is to be fed to animals that is suitable for humans. Instead of corn or soy, by-products from the processing of sugar beet, oil and grain are used in animal feed.
Much has been achieved in terms of food competition as part of the "KlimaStaR Milch" initiative. This has already been reduced by almost a fifth in two years, the alliance writes in the press release.
The "KlimaStaR Milch" initiative has set itself the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and food competition in milk production by 20 percent each within six years. The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) and the Bern University of Applied Sciences for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Sciences (HAFL) are supporting and accompanying the project.
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