Dairy

Did you know that 34% of dairy farmers say
they are experiencing the effects of climate change now and 62% say they expect to feel it in the next ten years?

For the dairy sector, the biggest issue is methane. Methane has around 23 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide and is released from the digestive systems of ruminant livestock and from manures and slurries. Cow farts have been hitting the headlines recently and it demonstrates how these issues (though often over-simplistically communicated) can capture the public’s attention. Although we cannot eliminate methane production from farming, it can be reduced through optimising the health, diet and breeding of our livestock.

Water and energy efficiency are also becoming hot topics for dairy farmers. See our water management and energy efficiency factsheets for more information. All dairy farmers can explore the potential for renewable energy generation. See our Renewables section for more information.

The great news is that 28% of dairy farmers are taking action to adapt to the changing climate and nearly half are installing measures to mitigate further change.

DairyCo have a brilliant set of resources about climate change. Find them by clicking here.

Are you part of the 50% who are taking action?

There are lots of other factsheets and resources that will be of interest to you as a dairy farmer and you can find them below. You can see a full list of our resources here and it may also be useful for you to use our Interactive Google map to get up to date information and advice for your region. You may also want to look into a 0% Carbon Trust loans for energy efficiency improvements.