As a Co-op, we’re now well on our journey to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on-farm.
Farmers are continuously improving how they farm and every action counts towards their bottom line.
At a Co-op level, these actions all add up to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of fat and protein-corrected milk. It’s a complex calculation, but Co-op farmers have some of the best minds in New Zealand working behind the scenes to help them.
Co-op Programme Manager – On Farm Performance, Talia Grala, is one of these experts. With a PhD in molecular biology, genetics, and ruminant nutrition, Talia worked with DairyNZ for over a decade before joining the Co-op to focus on lifecycle assessment, on-farm efficiency, and greenhouse gas accounting. She says over the years the Co-op has been able to refine its models and provide farmers with increasingly detailed information about their farms’ emissions.
“Initially, there was not a lot of information about things they could change on their farm. As the conversation around emissions changed to focus more on greenhouse gases produced per kilogram of milk, we were able to provide more bespoke support to our farmers that better reflected activity on-farm,” Talia says.
The Co-op partnered with AgResearch, which had created a model that could be used at the individual farm level. Data is drawn from Farm Dairy Records, DairyBase regional data, expert surveys and local research, to calculate emissions numbers.
“Farmers already provide us with a huge amount of data about their farms, and we’ve been able to leverage this data for another purpose and provide farmers with additional insights about their farm. The variety of data inputs ensures a comprehensive information set reflecting the actual practices on New Zealand dairy farms,” says Talia.
“We can show farmers what greenhouse gases are coming from cows, feed, and pastures, as well as fertilisers, utilities, and fuel. We’re continuing to refine the model as new science emerges and we increase data integration. This means farmers will have even more detailed information in the future.”
On-farm activities create three greenhouse gases – methane (produced as animals ruminate), nitrous oxide (released from soil because of cow urine and manure, and nitrogen-based fertilisers), and carbon dioxide (from other inputs to the farm, including synthetic fertilisers and imported feed).
When calculating individual farm emissions, the Co-op looks at the farm as a whole, and this season, we are also including carbon from planted areas on-farm. Areas of permanent woody vegetation that are growing store carbon. This carbon amount can be subtracted from the emissions footprint of a farm, reducing the greenhouse gases produced per kilogram of milk.
The biggest opportunity, particularly for achieving emissions reductions and profitability gains, is efficiency.
"Prioritising productivity through homegrown feed not only enhances farm efficiency but can reduce the reliance on imported feed, which comes with varying amounts of associated carbon dioxide emissions. These factors play a significant role in lowering the farm’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Talia says.
“The Co-op has a lot of support available to farmers eager to be more efficient and reduce their emissions. There’s a financial incentive, too. Farmers who achieve Emissions Excellence, producing low-emissions milk, can earn an additional 1-5 cents per kgMS.”