The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Work with Me
    • Speaking
    • Giveaways
    • Social Media Consulting
    • Sponsored and Guest Posts
  • Gift Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • About Me
    • Media
    • Terms of Use

Research: Ending Dairy Doesn’t Significantly Reduce GHG Emissions

February 26, 2021

We’re often told that we as individuals can help fight climate change simply by changing our diet. We should choose plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy. So it would seem obvious that eliminating dairy production would greatly assist in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Right?!

Researchers at Virginia Tech found that isn’t entirely true. The group considered three scenarios: herd management, retiring cows, or depopulation. Each scenario yielded the same result: emissions slightly decreased and so did important nutrients.

Under herd management, farmers continued producing dairy products, but those products were all exported. The U.S. stopped consuming dairy. In this scenario, the GHG emissions remained the same. But the U.S. lost access to essential nutrients.

Under the retirement model, farmers simply sent dairy cows out to pasture. The result was a 12-percent reduction in emissions, but all 39 nutrients included in the study declined.

Depopulation had similar results. In that situation, farmers simply killed off all existing dairy cows. That model yielded a 7 percent reduction in emissions. In turn, 30 of 39 nutrients would increase (presumably because you’re eating the cows), but several essential nutrients declined.

To put all of these numbers in perspective, dairy cows only contribute 1.58 percent of the country’s total GHG emissions. And that’s mostly because dairy farmers have become increasingly efficient over the last 50 years. It now takes fewer animals, food, water, and land to produce the same amount of milk. So while the industry has a carbon footprint, it’s getting smaller over time.

Yet we can’t oversell dairy’s importance in our diets. Milk has nine essential nutrients: protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A, D, and B12, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. Milk is the greatest source of calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D for most Americans. So if we decide to ditch dairy, we have to find those nutrients somewhere else.

There’s obviously a balancing act here. We want to strategically reduce GHG emissions and reduce our overall carbon footprint. But we also still need certain nutrients to have a healthy, well-balanced diet. Based on this study, it seems to me that ending dairy production isn’t the answer. An extremely small gain in the climate-change fight causes big deficiencies with our diet.

signature
Share this:
«
»

Filed Under: Animal Agriculture Tagged With: animal agriculture, climate change, milk

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe via Email

Archives

Latest on Twitter


Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/w7tip1fvtc2x/domains/thefarmersdaughterusa.com/html/wp-content/plugins/wd-twitter-feed/includes/Resource/TwitterResource.php on line 154

Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/w7tip1fvtc2x/domains/thefarmersdaughterusa.com/html/wp-content/plugins/wd-twitter-feed/includes/Resource/TwitterResource.php on line 163

Error: You currently have access to a subset of Twitter API v2 endpoints and limited v1.1 endpoints (e.g. media post, oauth) only. If you need access to this endpoint, you may need a different access level. You can learn more here: https://developer.twitter.com/en/portal/product (error code: 453).
For more information, visit Error Codes & Responses.

Latest on Facebook

The Farmer's Daughter

4 days ago

The Farmer's Daughter

The New York legislature sent a bill to the state's governor that would ban neonics, a pesticide used in seed treatments. Here's why I think Governor Hochul needs to veto this misguided legislation.

... See MoreSee Less

GUEST APPEARANCE: Hochul must veto Birds and Bees Protection Act

www.fltimes.com

Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing a consequential decision: Whether to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act. The legislation will prevent New York farmers from using neonicotinoid-treated seeds to grow

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

6 days ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Some of the soybeans are starting to turn!(Different field than the last post, but still a positive!)

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. I took this photo over the weekend. These beans should be turning yellow and drying for harvest. So why aren't they? Because...the spring drought.Seeds need water to germinate. But after we planted we didn't have rain for weeks. So those seeds just sat in the dirt and never sprouted. Then, finally, it rained. And the tiny plants started popping up.The problem? It was several weeks too late for planting. The question is whether they'll be ready to harvest before the snow flies. We have shorter seasons in Michigan, so it'll be close.

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

3 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

In my latest for AGDAILY I take a look at that status of plant-based "milks" and the FDA's moves on labeling.

... See MoreSee Less

'Almond Beverage': Yes, a label is finally doing it right! | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

The FDA's draft guidance on the milk label is a decent compromise on which the nutritional differences with actual milk must be clearly stated.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

3 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

This man is a menace to society. It scares me to see certain groups giving him a favorable look."Conspiracy stories are simple, whereas reality is complicated."

... See MoreSee Less

Why RFK Jr.’s Science Disinfo Keeps Outrunning the Truth

plus.thebulwark.com

A conspiracy theory can be halfway around the world before a peer-reviewed replication can alphabetize its sources.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Latest on Instagram

thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
Some of the #soybeans are starting to turn--finall Some of the #soybeans are starting to turn--finally!
Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. I took Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. 

I took this photo over the weekend. These beans should be turning yellow and drying for harvest. So why aren't they? Because...the spring drought.

Seeds need water to germinate. But after we planted we didn't have rain for weeks. So those seeds just sat in the dirt and never sprouted. Then, finally, it rained. And the tiny plants started popping up.

The problem? It was several weeks too late for planting. The question is whether they'll be ready to harvest before the snow flies. We have shorter seasons in Michigan, so it'll be close.
Sunsets on the #farm are the best. 😍 Sunsets on the #farm are the best. 😍
💜💜 💜💜
Don't let anyone make you feel bad about not purch Don't let anyone make you feel bad about not purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. It all counts.

#modernagriculture #foodproduction #usfarmers #usagriculture #usfarms #food #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #modernag #farms #sustainableagriclture #sustainablefarming
I visited one of my favorite local farm stands ove I visited one of my favorite local farm stands over the weekend. I thought I'd buy a couple zucchini and cantaloupe. But the zucchini looked more like clubs, and the cantaloupe was too ripe for my taste. So I passed on those and bought some tomatoes that maybe cost more than I would have preferred.

But you know what I didn't do? I didn't complain about the zucchinis' size. I didn't fuss about the melons' ripeness. I didn't criticize the tomatoes' price. Instead, I smiled at the lovely lady and made small talk as I paid and went about my day. 

Why? Because I remember what it was like being out by the side of the road hot day after hot day. I know that we all poured everything we had into that produce. I remember how defeating it felt when some criticized it. I know that the price is probably around market value, even if it's cheaper in the grocery store. And I know that the farm family behind that cash register is giving everything they have to chase a dream.

I won't be the one to rain on their parade. 

#Respect
Happy #nationaldogday from Mischa! #nationaldogda Happy #nationaldogday from Mischa!

#nationaldogday🐶 
#pittiemix 
#blacklab 
#mischa
Mischa and I are home on the farm for the weekend. Mischa and I are home on the farm for the weekend. And we're loving it.
It isn't one or the other. Farmers care about all It isn't one or the other. Farmers care about all of it.

#agriculture #farming #sustainablefarming #sustainability
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

Go to mobile version