Danish initiatives to lower emissions
The dairy industry and its products are an essential part of the world today, both as a source of nutritious food and as a global industry that generates thousands of jobs while having a meaningful impact on developing countries. However, alongside these benefits comes the issue of its environmental footprint - the emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane.
In Denmark, industry research and development efforts are addressing this issue from multiple angles, with a broad range of new and continuously evolving initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from cows on the farm as well as from production processes at the dairies.
Driving this work and providing a framework for shared climate objectives are international agreements, like the Paris Climate Agreement, along with Danish national climate legislation. On top of that, the Danish dairy industry and some dairies also implement subsidy models to incentivise farmers to adopt specific climate measures.
The following sections present some of those initiatives, beginning with efforts on the farm, followed by developments in dairy production, and finally, innovations in packaging.
The farm, the feed and the cows
On the farm, the majority of emissions are methane, which results from digestion and manure storage, and nitrous oxide, which is released from the use of artificial fertilisers and manure (in slurry form). Nitrous oxide is also released when soil is cultivated (e.g. during ploughing). One of the major focus areas, therefore, is the management of feed and manure to lower these emissions.
Barn acidification
The acidification of manure with reduces ammonia and methane loss within barns and during storage. This process can result in emission reductions of
Cow suction hoods
Addressing methane emissions from cows has traditionally focused on modifying feed, but in recent years, research has expanded to include technological solutions. Studies are, among other things, examining the effectiveness of equipped with suction to capture methane from both the cows and the manure.
The hoods are designed with the aim of efficiently reducing methane emissions within barns and slurry tanks. Although still in the development phase, these hoods exemplify ongoing research efforts towards effective emission-reduction solutions.
Feed
In addition to an analytical approach aimed at optimising feed efficiency to improve cows’ health, productivity, and cost-effectiveness, many studies have highlighted the benefits of various methane-reducing feed additives. Although most additives are still in the research phase and pending further development, recent studies have explored the following:
- Nitrates: Studies indicate that methane emissions can be reduced by up to 18% through the use of nitrates in feed. However, Danish studies found that nitrates in the feed increase nitrate levels in the milk, raise enteric nitrous oxide emissions, and reduce overall feed intake.
- 3NOP (): This recently developed additive shows potential to reduce emissions by up to 39% without side effects for the cows, consumers, or milk quality. It has been approved for use in dairy cows in the EU since 2002.
- Substance X (X2): The promising additive is currently unnamed due to ongoing research and pending patent applications. Although its name is confidential, it is reportedly known and approved in other contexts, though not y