Measuring sustainability on the dairy farm

Equipe ESGpec
Jul 16, 2024
3 min read

Many will quickly think that measuring the carbon footprint is enough, but this is just one of the variables that determine sustainability. Greenhouse gas emission intensity is one piece of the puzzle, which, to be complete, must encompass economic, social, and environmental variables. The International Dairy Federation, through its Dairy Sustainability Framework (DSF), lists 11 criteria for assessing the sustainability of dairy farms.

1. Greenhouse gas emissions

Understanding your emissions is the first step to reducing them. Calculating your carbon footprint allows you to identify emission sources, their contribution, and create a mitigation action plan.

2. Soil nutrients

Monitoring soil nutrient application minimizes its impact on the environment. Implementing controls, with appropriate records and processes, ensures proper implementation and improved soil nutrition.

3. Soil quality

Soil quality ensures fertility and productivity. This criterion requires the implementation of a soil management program that includes practices to reduce erosion, maintain soil structure, and retain water.

4. Water quality and availability

Water management must be carried out responsibly throughout the farm. Effluent management programs and water use efficiency monitoring are recommended to ensure minimal impact of dairy farming on surface and groundwater.

5. Biodiversity

Farms must implement a plan to preserve, restore, and/or enhance biodiversity. The plan should help producers understand the impacts of their actions on biodiversity and include the identification of local priorities, problems, and opportunities.

6. Working conditions

The social aspect is crucial to sustainability. Safety programs on the farm allow for the identification of risks and monitoring of incidents, promoting a safe and healthy work environment.

7. Animal welfare

In this criterion, the objective is to ensure care with attention to the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, health, behavior and mental state.

8. Waste

It is important to reduce waste generation on rural properties and implement practices for reuse and recycling.

9. Market development

Rural producers must be able to build economically viable businesses within a transparent and efficient market. Organizations that work with producers must inform them about market opportunities and challenges.

10. Rural economy

Monitoring the total amount paid to producers, considering the price of milk and production volume, as well as the number of people employed and financial transactions with local businesses and services, is essential for the resilience and economy of rural areas.

11. Product quality and safety

As an industry, it's essential to ensure the quality, safety, and nutritional value of products. Safety and recall assessment processes allow us to identify problems and opportunities, as well as monitor the effectiveness of implementations.

Assessment Tools

We developed the ESG Farm Score tool to quantify each of these criteria, generating indicators that allow us to monitor the farm's progress! We look inward, identifying areas with the greatest need for action. Thus, we hope to help guide organic growth and development with the involvement of dairy farms, which requires integration, balance, and biodiversity!

For more information, visit:https://www.dairysustainabilityframework.org/what-we-do/overview/criteria .

Discover the ESG Farm Score - Access it free of charge through the Regenerative Awakening Project!

The ESG Farm Score is an innovative tool developed by ESGpec to assess the level of adoption of sustainable and regenerative practices. The Score is loosely based on the DSF (Dairy Sustainability Framework) and shares simplified guidelines for each of the 11 criteria, both for educational purposes and to provide an estimate of a farm's preparedness to operate in an increasingly sustainable manner.

How to Access: