Climate protection in the cowshed: organic farm shows path to CO2 neutrality!

Climate protection in the cowshed: organic farm shows path to CO2 neutrality!

On the organic farm of Susanne and Heinfried Emden in Waldeck-Ober-Werbe, groundbreaking results of a study on climate neutrality in milk production were presented. As part of the EU project "Clienfarms", eleven suppliers of the Upländer farmers' dairy work closely with the Justus Liebig University in Gießen in order to research innovative approaches to reduce greenhouse gases. Professor Dr. Andreas Gattinger and Dr. The Knob presented the first findings that show how organic farms can improve their climate balance.

Research focuses on individual climate silence and the optimization of animal husbandry, carbon storage and renewable energies. A central finding: companies with biogas plants have a significantly better CO2 balance. The scientists found that dairy farms that rely on grass -based food, compared to those who use the concentrate, cut off significantly better. This could be crucial for the desired climate neutrality by 2050.

important steps to reduce emissions

The study uses the "Cool Farm Tools" system to calculate the overall emissions and shows that companies with biogas plants can reduce their emissions by 20 percent. These results are not only important for farmers, but also for politics, which is called to support climate protection measures. It is also emphasized that animal protection will have to play a crucial role in agriculture in the future to gain social acceptance.

The results of the study are now passed on to around 100 milk suppliers of the Upländer farmers' dairy. Farmers have to adapt to rising food prices, since the costs for climate protection measures have to be covered by agricultural prices. The "Clienfarms" project comprises 36 institutions in 16 countries and documents climate protection along 20 agricultural value chains. The first steps to improve the climate balance in milk production are made - the future of agriculture could change significantly.