A new study from the University of Connecticut has highlighted how farm-specific data can provide a more accurate assessment of the carbon footprint of milk, particularly in developing dairy production systems.
Published in the Journal of Dairy Science, the research was conducted by a team led by Elias Uddin, assistant professor of animal science at UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, in collaboration with researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University.
The researchers analysed data collected from the Bangladesh Agricultural University Dairy Farm between 2018 and 2023. The assessment accounted for emissions associated with cattle feed, enteric fermentation, manure management and farm energy use.
Enteric fermentation was the largest source, accounting for 48% of total emissions, followed by feed at 24%, manure management at 20%, and energy used to operate the farm at 8%.
The study also included non-lactating animals in the herd, in line with life-cycle assessment guidelines. Researchers noted that these animals are part of the overall milk production system and therefore need to be included when calculating the environmental footprint.
During the five-year period, the farm’s average milk carbon footprint was calculated at 5.18 kg of carbon emissions per kg of milk. However, the researchers found that using farm-specific data and Tier 2 equations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produced a carbon-footprint estimate 27% lower than estimates based on the more general Tier 1 equations.
A major factor behind the change was improved animal productivity. Average milk production increased from 3.53 kg per cow per day in 2018 to 5.76 kg in 2023, representing a 63% increase in productivity. The researchers calculated that this improvement contributed to a 37% reduction in the farm’s carbon footprint over the study period.
The productivity gains were associated with genetic selection and improved management practices, including balanced diets and more efficient feed management.
The study also highlights the importance of considering the production system when comparing dairy emissions between countries. In Bangladesh, cattle farms commonly operate as dual-purpose systems producing both milk and meat, whereas dairy and beef production are generally separated in the United States.
Because both milk and meat contribute to the production system, the researchers examined emissions allocation and nutrient production to provide a more appropriate basis for comparison. They found that traditional allocation approaches can overestimate the emissions attributed to milk in Bangladesh.
The researchers also cautioned that the study did not include emissions after the milk left the farm because information on transportation distances and subsequent processing was not available.
The findings suggest that carbon footprints can vary substantially between farms, even within the same region. Farm-level data can therefore help identify management practices associated with lower emissions and provide more targeted information for improving dairy efficiency.
The study also points to the growing commercial importance of environmental performance. As sustainability becomes a greater consideration in international trade, more accurate carbon-footprint measurements could influence how agricultural products are evaluated by buyers and importing markets.
For developing dairy systems, the researchers emphasised that increasing productivity and efficiency can be an important pathway for reducing emissions per unit of milk, alongside other emissions-mitigation strategies.
Source: Dairynews7x7 18 Sep, 2026 Read full story here
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