SYRACUSE, N.Y. (October 12, 2020) —— Signaling bold climate change action, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy today unveiled the Net Zero Initiative, an industry-wide effort that will help U.S. dairy farms of all sizes, including dairy farms throughout the Northeast, implement new technologies and adopt economically viable practices. The national initiative is a critical component of U.S. dairy’s environmental stewardship goals, endorsed by dairy industry leaders and farmers, to achieve carbon neutrality, optimized water usage and improved water quality by 2050.
“The U.S. dairy community has been working together to provide the world with responsibly-produced, nutritious dairy foods,â€_x009d_ said Mike Haddad, chairman, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “With the entire dairy community at the table — from farmers and cooperatives to processors, household brands and retailers — we’re leveraging U.S. dairy’s innovation, diversity and scale to drive continued environmental progress and create a more sustainable planet for future generations.â€_x009d_
2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy — a forum that convenes dairy farmers and industry stakeholders across the value chain to align on shared social responsibility priorities — built on a decades-long commitment to responsible dairy production in developing the 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals. Leveraging a rigorous, third-party reviewed materiality assessment, the industry prioritized the most pressing areas of environmental sustainability as the foundation for its goals:
- Become carbon neutral or better;
- Optimize water use while maximizing recycling;
- Improve water quality by optimizing utilization of manure and nutrients.
In 2008, U.S. dairy was the first agricultural sector to commission a life cycle assessment on fluid milk, which showed that dairy accounts for 2% of total GHG emissions in the U.S.
In fact, due to innovative practices in cow health, improved feed and genetics, and modern management practices, the environmental impact of producing a gallon of milk in 2017 has shrunk significantly from 2007, requiring 30% less water, 21% less land and a 19% smaller carbon footprint1.
Bringing Net Zero to Life
The Net Zero Initiative is a collaboration of dairy organizations and represents a critical pathway on U.S. dairy’s sustainability journey. Many of the practices and technologies needed to reach the industry’s goals largely exist but require further research and development and overall greater accessibility across farms of all sizes. Through foundational science, on-farm pilots and development of new product markets, the Net Zero Initiative aims to knock down the barriers and create incentives for farmers that will lead to economic viability, reduced carbon emissions and improved water use and quality.
Dairy companies and farms in every single state including those in American Dairy Association North East are already contributing to the goals in individual ways and each year a select number are recognized for their positive impact with the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award.
The dairy community will continue to demonstrate its progress in the environment, animal care, food safety/traceability and community contributions through the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment. As of October 2020, 27 dairy companies representing 68 percent of the nation’s milk production have voluntarily adopted the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment and contribute to U.S. dairy’s ability to track, aggregate and report on progress.
“We know more is possible — proven science and evidence from dairy’s existing best practices tells us we can get to net zero. This is not only good for dairy farmers, it’s also good for all the businesses that serve dairy, the communities where we farm and the millions of people who enjoy dairy every day,â€_x009d_ added Haddad.
For more information on U.S. dairy’s sustainability journey, please visit USDairy.com/Sustainability.