More sustainable production in the dairy industry.

The word “sustainability” or the phrase “more sustainable production” is heard more often these days than almost anything else. It relates to the concern worldwide of where the globe is heading and what we as the current generation is doing to prevent devastation. More specifically, and in the shorter term, the concern is about damage to ecosystems, water systems, biodiversity, waste accumulation, the effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) accumulation to climate change etc., and these concerns address the issue of whether we will be able to continue feeding an increasing world population while preserving the environment, i.e. can we do it in a “sustainable” manner. Many organizations worldwide are including sustainability measures to support their core businesses, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) being one of the leaders. Member countries, including South Africa, participate and provide input into the research, strategy and policy programmes employed by the IDF’s Scientific Committee for the Environment (SCENV), the Global Dairy Agenda for Action (GDAA), the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP) and more recently the Dairy Sustainability Framework (DSF), which is a specific initiative of the GDAA to develop a voluntary Code of Conduct that member countries can follow to promote sustainability.

This background is provided to indicate why our dairy projects and activities should not only concentrate on short term goals and profitability, but should also consider longer term challenges. Sustainability measures are not divorced from profitability, in fact they will support a viable industry for the following generations – emphasizing a heritage responsibility to the present generation. The importance is that producers and processors should implement sustainability measures sooner rather than later, many of which entail just common sense such as energy saving measures and employing alternative energy sources, preventing waste accumulation and adding value to it, using fertilizers and water sparingly, becoming more efficient (more product output per unit input and waste) etc.

 Reducing GHG emissions require more thinking and research and there is still much debate as to the best way of estimation and how it should be calculated in a standardized way in order for countries to benchmark and employ effective mitigation measures. The IDF together with the FAO recently calculated GHG emissions of world dairying as about 3% of total GHG emissions (in South Africa the dairy industry is small and accounts for less than 1% of total country GHG emissions). However, current thought is that we need to relate these emissions to sustainability, profitability and dairy’s contribution to providing nutrients and energy to the world population (food security), hence the vision of the DSF of: A vibrant dairy sector committed to continuously improving its ability to provide safe and nutritious products from healthy cattle, whilst:

-          Preserving natural resources

-          Ensuring decent livelihoods across the industry.

To elaborate on expressing GHG emissions in relation to the ability of dairy to provide nutrients:                                                                                                                                                 All food production systems incur environmental costs, but it is important to weigh the costs against the nutritional benefits provided by the foods, as it is well recognized that balanced nutrient and energy intakes form the basis of a healthy diet. Healthy eating is essential for normal growth and development and for reducing both communicable and chronic disease risk. Meeting future demands for food do not only mean producing more food, but also sufficient amounts of nutrient rich foods to compile nutritional adequate, high-quality diets to sustain human health in years to come.  

Currently the results of only a limited number of studies are available. In one study a “Nutrient Density to Climate Impact Index” (NDCI) based on life cycle assessment was calculated. The NDCI was calculated for a number of beverages including milk, soft drink, orange juice, beer, wine, bottled carbonated water, soy drink and oat drink. The NDCI for milk (0.54) was substantially better than for the other beverages, with the nearest (orange juice) scoring 0.28. This is due to the high nutrient density of milk due to both the number of nutrients and their amounts relative to dietary recommendations. In another study it was shown that the substitution on an energy basis of meat with either dairy products or mixed dishes reduced diet-related GHG, whereas GHG was not reduced when meat was substituted with fruit and vegetables. This result was supported in a study where the climate impact was measured in CO₂ emissions per kilojoule energy supplied by the product instead of per kilogram product, leading to the authors challenging the perception that animal foods should be replaced with plant-based foods to make diets more sustainable. With all the debates on the internet and popular media, I think we need much more scientific input in this regard!

Literature cited

IDF, 2014. Sustainable Dairy Nutrients are essential to Human Health. Version 2/2014. www.idf-fil.org.

IDF, 2014. The Dairy Sustainability Framework: A collaborative approach to sustainability in the global dairy sector. www.idf-fil.org.

Meissner, H.H., Scholtz, M.M. & Engelbrecht, F.A., 2013. Sustainability of the South African Livestock Sector towards 2050. Part 2: Challenges, changes and required implementations. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci. 43, 298-319.