Expodireto Cotrijal: ESG Quiz measures knowledge about sustainability during the Milk Forum

Sustainability in dairy farming: what do technicians and producers really know? At the Expodireto Cotrijal Milk Forum, participants' knowledge about carbon footprint, animal welfare, and sustainable practices was assessed with the ESG Quiz. The nearly 100 responses reveal a sector undergoing transformation, but with challenges to overcome. Discover the unprecedented insights and what this means for the future of dairy farming!

Sustainability in dairy farming is an increasingly prominent topic in industry discussions. The need to understand and mitigate environmental impacts has driven initiatives that seek to transform challenges into opportunities. This topic was widely discussed at the Expodireto Cotrijal Milk Forum. To enrich the discussions and assess participants' knowledge, the Dairy Farming ESG Quiz was proposed as an initial activity. Developed by ESGpec, the assessment aimed to assess understanding of key topics such as carbon footprint, environmental impact, animal welfare, and sustainable practices.

Sustainability in dairy farming is an increasingly prominent topic in industry discussions. The need to understand and mitigate environmental impacts has driven initiatives that seek to transform challenges into opportunities. This topic was widely discussed at the Expodireto Cotrijal Milk Forum. To enrich the discussions and assess participants' knowledge, the Dairy Farming ESG Quiz was proposed as an initial activity. Developed by ESGpec, the assessment aimed to assess understanding of key topics such as carbon footprint, environmental impact, animal welfare, and sustainable practices.

About a third of the audience at the Milk Forum, made up of technicians and producers, participated in the ESG Quiz . At the end, each participant received their score and a detailed individual report. With nearly 100 respondents, the overall average was 8.2 on a scale of 0 to 10 , demonstrating a high level of familiarity with the topic. However, the results also highlighted opportunities for improvement, essential for the production chain to advance towards an increasingly sustainable and competitive model.

Diagnosis as a strategic tool

The ESG Quiz enabled participants' knowledge levels to be mapped, providing initial guidance on topics requiring further exploration. The average score was shared during the Milk Forum, during Luiz Gustavo Pereira's lecture, while the detailed analysis was subsequently presented to the Cotrijal team. The tool can be used by companies, institutions, and industry partners as a starting point for understanding perceptions of ESG and, from there, encouraging training and fostering the adoption of sustainable practices.

The numbers indicate an advanced level of knowledge about ESG , but there are still challenges in understanding concepts such as the impact of methane on global warming and strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions . This indicates that there is significant interest and engagement in the topic, but that the democratization of knowledge still needs to be expanded.

Main challenges and opportunities

ESGpec has worked to democratize knowledge about ESG, making it accessible and applicable to the daily lives of producers, technicians, and companies. Through ebooks, articles, videos, and diagnostic tools, ESGpec provides a diverse range of information, promoting not only awareness but also practical support for the adoption of sustainable strategies that balance productivity and profitability in dairy farming.

Among the main challenges observed in the ESG Quiz results , the following stand out:

✅ Understanding the impact of methane : Although most participants correctly identified the main sources of emissions from livestock, the magnitude of methane's impact on global warming is still not fully understood. This reinforces the need for more information and educational materials on this topic.

✅ Emissions mitigation strategies : Many farms already adopt sustainable practices, but there is uncertainty about the most efficient strategies for reducing milk's carbon footprint. This highlights the importance of tools like ESGpec's PEC Calc, which allows you to calculate each farm's emissions and monitor the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.

✅ Engagement in the adoption of ESG practices : Interest in participating in pilot projects and initiatives was significant, demonstrating the sector's openness to change. The challenge is to translate this interest into concrete action, especially given the lack of technical information and support for implementing solutions.

✅ Animal welfare as a priority, but with conceptual challenges : 93% of participants recognize that animal welfare is essential for dairy farming, but less than half of them correctly identified its five domains, demonstrating a gap in the technical understanding of the concept.

✅ Workers' mental and physical health gains ground : 96% of participants consider that workers' mental and physical health is relevant in the dairy production routine, reinforcing that sustainability is not restricted to environmental preservation, but also, among other fronts, to caring for the people involved in the sector.

✅ Transparency and market access : 85% of respondents believe that transparency in sustainable practices can directly influence the competitiveness of dairy production, as it allows access to more demanding markets and strengthens the sector's image.

✅ Sustainable water use and resource conservation : 97% of participants consider that monitoring water consumption and conserving water sources are essential for sustainability, reinforcing that the efficient management of natural resources is a priority issue for the sector.

✅ Biodiversity and regenerative practices as pillars of the future: Most respondents recognize the importance of biodiversity in dairy farming and its relationship with the resilience of the production system and soil health. However, there is still room to expand knowledge about strategies that effectively integrate regenerative practices into daily management.

How to move forward?

The results of the ESG Quiz indicate that the sector is already moving towards a more sustainable future, but that there is still a long way to go in disseminating knowledge and implementing effective practices .

Some strategies to move forward are:

📌 Ongoing training : Provide training on carbon footprint, emissions mitigation, and animal welfare for producers and technicians.

📌 Accessible monitoring tools : Expand access to carbon footprint calculators and emissions inventories, as well as technological solutions that support decision-making.

📌 Integration with industry partners : Strengthen cooperation networks between companies, institutions, and producers to facilitate the adoption of ESG practices.

📌 Transparent communication : Encourage producers and companies in the sector to share their experiences and results, creating success stories that can inspire more farms to adopt sustainable strategies.

📌 Promotion of regenerative practices : Encourage the adoption of techniques that make livestock farming more resilient and less dependent on external inputs.

Dairy farming is undergoing a transformation, where sustainability is no longer a choice but a requirement . The ESG Quiz: ESG Knowledge Assessment in Dairy Farming showed that there is great potential for transforming knowledge into action . A collective journey begins now, one that depends on the engagement of all links in the production chain.

💡 Want to assess your knowledge of ESG in dairy farming? The ESG Quiz is still available for new classes and teams! Contact ESGpec and find out how this tool can help your company or farm evolve in the ESG agenda!