On the farm
We are always working to reduce our carbon emissions. For years, our dairy farmers have been working with the Caring Dairy program, using their craftsmanship for animal welfare and sustainability. For example, many dairy farmers have installed solar panels on the roofs of their barns and a low-emission floor in the barn. Meanwhile, 50% of the electricity for our cheese factory comes from our own members. We are, of course, going for 100%.
We are turning many knobs at once. Less and less artificial fertilizer, less and less concentrate feed, more and more home-grown protein and supplemented with feed from the region such as brewer's grains. In this way the footprint is slowly (and sustainably) going down. We are also investigating the possibilities of circular agriculture and carbon farming, which involves sequesteringCO2 in the soil and trees.
Every dairy farm is different. By 2022, approximately 100 CONO dairy farmers will have received tailored climate advice. These farmers know what buttons they can turn to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. For example, by using less artificial fertilizer and less feed concentrates. This way, the knife cuts both ways: a cost reduction and a lower footprint.
The graphs below show how the CO2-eq per kilo of milk has begun to decline over the years and more and more dairy farmers are generating their own, sustainable, energy from, for example, sun, wind and manure.
The dairy chains of Unilever with Ben & Jerry's and CONO cheesemakers and Nestlé with Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods are each working with their own program toward an ambitious goal: reducing...
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In some things, cows are very similar to humans. For example, like us, it is healthier for a cow to eat unprocessed food. In other words, lots of fresh vegetables. That's why ...
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Sandra Oudshoorn from Westbeemster really wanted to work on healthy soil. Because that is where the cows graze and the grass, corn and other feed grows. The better the soil...
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Berto Klaver from Zuidermeer does have a very human view of how he treats his cattle. "I check myself: if you have to work hard, you wear out sooner....
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Sustainable livestock farming thanks to 'old-fashioned' farming The tastiest milk is full of protein and deliciously creamy due to a tad higher fat content. That optimal balance is often also the most...
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On the farm of CONO dairy farmer Marco Visser in De Rijp, the 'clay in peat soil' pilot has started with a spreading demo. The pilot aims to promote degradation of...
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Cattle farmer Sjoerd farms with a manure digester Manure and slurry, neat words for cow poop and urine, together make the harmful gas ammonia. That's where farmer Sjoerd van der Helm from Zuidschermer...
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CONO Kaasmakers has started a pilot with the feed additive Bovaer® in cooperation with DSM. This feed additive can reduce cows' methane emissions by an average of 30%. No concessions to taste and...
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Farmer Dick Ubbels chooses green management without sticks but with herbs on the grassland Cattle farmers love their cows and the outdoors. Logically, they also have an eye for nature management....
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CONO Cheese Makers and Ben & Jerry's are collaborating in pilot project 'Mootopia'. This project, which is starting on fifteen dairy farms in the Netherlands and America, aims to reduce CO2 emissions on dairy farms by...
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