UN: Milk production accounts for almost 3 percent of greenhouse gas emissions
April 20th, 2010 - 11:46 pm ICT by BNO NewsUNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced Tuesday that nearly three percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions are a result of milk production.
This figure includes emissions related to the production, processing and transportation of milk products, as FAO has pointed out that more than half of the sector’s emissions in both developing and developed countries is caused by methane. Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide also account for large proportions of the dairy sector’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the study, the figure raises to four percent when emissions from meat production from animals originating from the dairy system are factored in.
The new report covers all major milk production systems, from nomadic herds to intensified dairy operations, focusing on the entire dairy food chain, including the production and transport of inputs, such as fertilizer, pesticides and feed.
“This report is fundamental to understand and identify opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of the dairy sector while providing safe and nutritious foodstuffs,” Samuel Jutzi, Director of FAO’s Animal Production and Health Division said.
The UN has taken important initiatives to analyze and recommend steps to mitigate climate change. Its landmark 2006 study, entitled “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” found that 18 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions were caused by the livestock sector.
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