ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2022 61 3 WAYS TO INCREASE MILK PRODUCTION WHILE REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT “Can we reduce the carbon footprint of milk while also improving our production and profitability? With proven tools, the answer to that question is yes: It is possible to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy production and to improve our economic returns and performance at the same time.” In the dairy industry, successfully implementing solutions that “kill two birds with one stone” requires innovation and usable data. Finding ways to reduce the carbon footprint on dairy cattle operations while also maintaining high milk production is just that kind of situation. It is important to understand that dairy production is on a continuous path of growth. Some insightful data provided by the IFCN shows that global milk production is projected to increase by 35% between 2017 and 2030. This level of growth is promising for the industry but will also present many challenges and raise questions about our ability to provide more with fewer resources while adopting practices that are environmentally sound. To top everything off, all of this must be achieved while also continuing to increase transparency for consumers about how their milk is produced. The main question is: Can we reduce the carbon footprint of milk while also improving our production and profitability? Greenhouse gases have been a trending topic among consumers for several years, and this topic is now resonating more with dairy farmers across the world, as new regulations and initiatives are being presented. To achieve reduced emissions, we must look at ways to optimize production — including via nutritional solutions, which will play a very big role as we go forward. Dairy producers can utilize nutritional solutions as tools for reducing methane emissions from dairy cows, but technologies that offer environmental benefits cannot compromise on animal performance, as doing so would mean requiring more animals to meet the growing demand for food. However, before looking to implement any of these solutions, dairy producers will need to measure their carbon footprint. TOOL ONE: ALLTECH E-CO2 To successfully reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we must first know where these emissions come from. Analytical services, such as Alltech E-CO2, identify and quantify these hotspots through accredited environmental assessments. Over the past 10 years and more than 10,000 assessments, Alltech E-CO2 has found that the two largest sources of emissions on dairy farms are enDr. Saheed Salami Research Fellow, Solutions Deployment Team Alltech
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