Reducing emissions must involve the entire life cycle of milk
Last 18TH and 19th of November , Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, as part of the European project VISIONARY, organized in Galicia, the community with the highest milk production in Spain, a meeting to address the sustainable future of the dairy sector. This brought together experts, cooperatives, and international entities with a common objective: to discuss strategies for the sector’s decarbonization.
The objectives set by the large supermarket and industrial companies, and the pressure from consumers and institutions mark the future steps of the dairy sector to reduce its emissions. Still, without a consensus on the objectives set, the dairy sector and the cooperatives are analyzing possible alternatives to meet the demands, always with a view to Scope 3, which implies that reductions must cover the entire life cycle of the milk. That is, from the farm to its distribution. The most promising is the formulation of feed with raw materials with a low carbon footprint, the use of additives that reduce emissions, and the improvement of production efficiency through genetic advances and optimal farm management. During the visit, attendees visited the CLUN cooperative to learn about its innovative production model, which has given rise to the first “ZERO emissions” milk on the market: ÚNICLA. From the care in the feeding of its cows, which reduces the carbon footprint by 20% compared to conventional milk, to its packaging process with carbon-neutral materials made from recycled materials and forest residues, ÚNICLA represents a model of integral sustainability.
In addition, the benefits of its special diet not only impact the environment but also the quality of the product, increasing its Omega 3 content and other nutrients. To close the cycle, the cooperative offsets the remaining emissions by reforesting burned forests in Galicia through the ARUME association. Regarding the barn, it has side openings to improve ventilation in the hot months. Also, it is supported by fans to mitigate high temperatures. Even though in this area of Spain they do not suffer so much from high temperatures, but they have high rainfall throughout the year. That is why the manure ponds have a roof. Also, it has photovoltaic panels for maintaining the temperature at which the milk is stored.