sustainability<\/a> goals.\u201d<\/p>\nMeasuring the carbon footprint of India\u2019s dairy industry<\/h3>\n While many studies have measured dairy\u2019s carbon footprint, very few have focused on smaller farms in India.<\/p>\n
Additionally, none to date have examined the Karnataka region of India, which is a major contributor to the country\u2019s overall milk production system.<\/p>\n
Dr Mech said: \u201cWe set out to better understand the holistic life cycle of milk production of India\u2019s dairy industry, including its emission hotspots and collective carbon footprint, and ultimately, to outline steps for increasing sustainability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a challenge, given that India\u2019s smaller farms are also incredibly diverse and operate with various dairy cow breeds, management methods, and landscapes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team conducted a life cycle analysis of 47 small farms in Karnataka. Their analysis primarily used data gathered directly from local dairy farmers, including farm size, animal management, body measurements, and milk production.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They also collected data on feeding practices, animal performance, manure disposal, feed and fodder production, and other farm management practices via a questionnaire. Additional data, such as fertiliser, transportation, and energy emission factors, were based on government reports and peer-reviewed literature.<\/p>\n
What did the research reveal?<\/h3>\n \u201cOur analysis revealed that the carbon footprint of the milk production in these small farms is comparable with small dairy operations in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, and other regions of India\u2019s dairy industry,\u201d said Dr Merch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the data also indicate that these farms are still producing roughly twice the carbon footprint of the high-producing large dairy farms in the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, and similar countries, they also shed light on specific opportunities for sustainability improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n
The major emissions hotspots in the farms were the enteric methane produced from the digestive processes of the cows, along with the greenhouse gases stemming from feed production.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur results indicate that the most effective interventions for reducing the carbon footprint in smallholder dairy farms are to maintain high-yielding animals and adopt appropriate feeding strategies for better feed utilisation,\u201d explained Dr Merch.<\/p>\n
He concluded: \u201cTherefore, the future breeding strategy should target milk production traits and feed utilisation efficiency as critical phenotypes for improving the next generation of dairy cows.\u201d<\/p>\n
The research team highlighted the need for larger-scale future studies and a scenario analysis of applying emissions mitigation strategies.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, this study is a crucial first step to a more sustainable and resilient path for India\u2019s dairy industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
India\u2019s dairy industry is one of the largest worldwide milk producers and is home to more dairy cows than any other country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":41364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24433],"tags":[550,24229],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Enhancing sustainability in India\u2019s dairy industry<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n