When discussing the climate impact of milk, attention usually falls on cow methane emissions.
When discussing the climate impact of milk, attention usually falls on cow methane emissions. Changes in the carbon stored in soil organic matter rarely factor in farm-level carbon footprint assessments, because a standardized calculation method is still subject to debate. A study by the University of Helsinki and the Finnish Meteorological Institute shows that changes in the soil organic carbon stock can play a key role in the carbon footprint of milk production.
The study examined how changes in the soil organic carbon stock affect the total carbon footprint of milk production at the University of Helsinki’s Viikki research farm, on fields of grass and cereal crop rotation. The calculations used life cycle assessment, a method that calculates a product’s environmental impact by examining every step of its creation, from growing cattle feed to manure management.
Read More: University of Helsinki
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