Assessing our environmental impact

Today’s cows are greener than their grandmothers

Canadian cows produce 3 times more milk than 50 years ago, thanks to improvements in comfort, herd management and feed efficiency. A comfortable, well-fed, relaxed cow makes more milk. We may be biased in thinking that our cows are the cream of the crop so to speak, but there’s more to it than that. Increased cow productivity actually reduces the GHG emissions of a litre of milk. Cows produce methane during rumination (the digestion process that allows them to eat grass), and storing their manure (a must when the grounds are frozen) also emits methane and nitrous oxide. So, the fewer cows we have on our farms and the more productive they are, the lower the environmental impact.

Improved water conservation

Dairy farming requires clean water, and farmers test water quality regularly. Cows drink about a bath tub of well water a day, and water is needed to clean the equipment, but that volume is dwarfed by the amount of water needed for grass and other crops. Even so, overall dairy farming in southern Canada (where 80% of Canadians live and the bulk of Canadian dairy farming is done) uses less than 0.03% of our country’s fresh water resources. Furthermore, one litre of pure, Canadian milk is produced using less water than in many places around the globe, mainly thanks to our climate and regular rainfalls. The bottom line is dairy farmers of Canada champion water quality and water conservation on the farm.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Dairy production represents less than 1.3% of Canada’s total GHG emissions. A major reason for this is that our cows are more productive, which has been a key factor in helping to reduce methane emissions associated with the production of a litre of milk. And we humans have made improvements too. Learning from scientific studies and implementing new technology, dairy farmers have adopted more environmentally friendly practices on our farms, including: emptying manure storage more often to enrich the soil nutrient content in our fields, doing crop rotations, reducing soil disruption of tilling, using ‘precision agriculture’ technology, as well as optimizing milk transportation. It has all contributed to improving our footprint over the last few years.

Responsible use of pesticides

Dairy farmers use cow manure first and foremost to enrich the soil. However, extra fertilizer may be needed to amend the soil and ensure it has all the nutrient and minerals it needs. Similarly, pesticides may be needed to fight an infestation of bugs or microbes that would destroy crops. In such cases, several precautions are taken to ensure pesticides are properly stored at the farm to avoid exposing humans and animals to them. Furthermore, over 90% of dairy farmers have been trained and passed an exam on the responsible use of pesticides in their fields. Still, our primary goal remains to limit the use of pesticides overall. There is a growing number of organic farms in Canada. It’s important to note that organic dairy farms have access to a more limited number of approved products to achieve the same goals of growing healthy plants and controlling pests. Some good practices that farmers have learned from organic farmers include crop rotation and the use of cover crops. 

Green energy, recycling and technology

Some dairy farms have a biodigestor to transform the methane produced from manure into electricity. Talk about turning a messy situation into a bright idea! Several farms have also used the space they have to install wind-mills or solar panels to create green energy. Additionally, more than half of dairy farmers in Canada have worked with agrologists or other experts to create an approved nutrient management plan to use nutrients efficiently and minimize the risk of ground water contamination.

We understand that reducing our impact on the environment and optimizing our use of natural resources while living in harmony with nature is an ongoing process. And it’s only getting better. Exciting new technological and scientific advances like the use of georeferencing and aerial imagery in fields, as well as better ventilation, comfort, automation of tasks and data-collection and analysis in the barn are enabling us to farm more efficiently and precisely, gradually increasing output while decreasing costs, time, waste, resources and our carbon footprint.

The efforts we make today will lead to a better tomorrow. We remain fully committed to doing everything we can to run more sustainable farms – for people, cows and the environment – while continuing to nourish Canadians with pure, natural dairy.