INTRODUCTION U.S. dairy farmers have long been stewards of the land and its natural resources. Among agricultural commodities, the dairy industry was early to embrace the sustainability movement, when Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) convened the dairy supply chain for a sustainability summit in 2008. In 2021, the U.S. dairy industry continued its bold leadership in sustainability by establishing the Net Zero Initiative (NZI). Allied Milk Producers would like to help its members be on the leading edge of achieving NZI goals by fostering a deeper understanding of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on dairy farms. To that end, the Context Network ® , an agricultural and food consulting firm, has leveraged its industry experience and the knowledge of subject matter experts to develop this report, which lays out the facts, opportunities, and challenges of reducing GHG emissions; sequestering carbon; and measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) practices on dairy farms.
SUMMARY This report aims to provide Allied dairies with an introduction to the world of GHG emission reducing practices, technologies, and programs—and to help them make money from the implementation of practices and technologies that provide environmental benefits. The report provides a summary of the primary GHG emission categories on dairy farms and descriptions of the opportunities to reduce GHG emissions. The report also describes carbon credit and insetting programs in which dairies can participate, as well as basic information on MMRV and its importance to environmental programs. The report concludes with illustrative scenarios of GHG reduction opportunities and suggested next steps for dairies.
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