Philadelphia, December 20, 2023 – India—with a dairy sector primarily composed of small dairy farms—is likely one of the largest milk producers on this planet and residential to extra dairy cows than every other nation. Its small farms feed hundreds of thousands and are important sources of employment, earnings, and diet. As the dairy sector works towards decreasing its emissions and contributing to international sustainability targets, a new study within the Journal of Dairy Science is illuminating the steps these useful small dairy farms can take to decrease their carbon footprints whereas offering huge financial and dietary advantages.

The examine’s lead investigator, Anjumoni Mech, PhD, of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology in Karnataka, India, defined, “The small dairy farms that dominate India’s dairy sector—73 million, in fact—have only two dairy cows on average but contribute 72% of India’s milk production. So, understanding their unique impact on the environment, and how it could be potentially lowered, is crucial as we all work toward shared sustainability goals.”

While many research have measured dairy’s carbon footprint, only a few have centered on smaller farms in India, and none so far have examined the Karnataka area of India, which is a serious contributor to the nation’s total milk manufacturing system.

Dr. Mech stated, “We set out to better understand the holistic life cycle of milk production, including its emission hotspots and collective carbon footprint, and ultimately, to outline steps for increasing sustainability. That is a challenge, given that India’s smaller farms are also incredibly diverse and operate with various dairy cow breeds, management methods, and landscapes.”

Dr. Mech and the analysis staff performed a life cycle evaluation of 47 small farms in Karnataka. Their evaluation primarily used information gathered instantly from native dairy farmers, together with farm measurement, animal administration, physique measurements, and milk manufacturing. The staff collected information on feeding practices, animal efficiency, manure disposal, feed and fodder manufacturing, and different farm administration practices through a questionnaire. Additional information (equivalent to emission elements for fertilizer, transportation, and power) have been based mostly on authorities studies and peer-reviewed literature.

Dr. Mech elaborated, “Our 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. While 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.”

The main emissions hotspots within the farms have been the enteric methane produced from the digestive processes of the cows, together with the greenhouse gases stemming from feed manufacturing.

Dr. Mech stated, “Our 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 utilization. Therefore, the future breeding strategy should target milk production traits and feed utilization efficiency as critical phenotypes for improving the next generation of dairy cows.”

The analysis staff was fast to focus on the necessity for larger-scale future research, together with a situation evaluation of the best way to apply emissions mitigation methods. Nevertheless, this examine is an important first step to a extra sustainable and resilient path for India’s small dairy farms.