What does a sustainable dairy farm of the future look like?

[dairyrow]

With all the dairy processors jumping on the carbon neutral bandwagon. What system do people feel will come out on top on the carbon audits? Is there really a future for organic if these dairy systems on conventional going to out compete or match organic on these systems. Thus surely eroding the premium customers pay for they percieve as more enviromentally friendly product?

 

[More to life]

I don’t think they really understand it fully so who knows.

 

[som farmer]

quite agree, everyone has jumped on the band wagon. The high cost cattle fodder crops, will need some justifying, as will the importation of soya, palm oil, maize gluten etc, We need to teach the cows not to belch, which, I believe, can be improved, by feeding more grass, which also absorps more carbon. Conventional farming, can learn a lot from the organic farmers, certainly from rotation, and using clover, and sh1t, to reduce bought fert. Soil health will increase in importance, and good soil structure, will absorb more water and carbon, and hopefully more fertile ! But, what we must realise, and learn to cope with, is an awful lot, of what is spouted out, are only half baked theories, with only a tenuous link to science, belching cows for instance, jumped on by vegitarians, vegans, airlines and holiday firms, the latter 2 should really be the no 1 target, but won't be, as it would be political suicide, for any politican, telling people, they can't jet off to the sun !!!!! A good deal of common sense is desperately needed.

 

[Barmyfarmer]

They haven't the foggiest what the future is with the carbon neutral agenda, animal welfare was the hot topic and quite rightly so but that has somewhat been shelved and the likes of arla are now starting to build a picture of what every systems carbon footprint is, and then going forward we will be advised/pushed in the right direction to be the most carbon 'efficient'
The next 5 years will be a massive learning curve for everyone involved and very interesting to see what happens.
Hopefully there isn't a right and wrong system and we can all adapt and improve on what we are already doing

 

[Scholsey]

They haven't the foggiest what the future is with the carbon neutral agenda, animal welfare was the hot topic and quite rightly so but that has somewhat been shelved and the likes of arla are now starting to build a picture of what every systems carbon footprint is, and then going forward we will be advised/pushed in the right direction to be the most carbon 'efficient'
The next 5 years will be a massive learning curve for everyone involved and very interesting to see what happens.
Hopefully there isn't a right and wrong system and we can all adapt and improve on what we are already doing

Can see the world being a different place after coronavirus has gone, think with flights being cancelled all over the world and industry being brought to a standstill in areas it will highlight the benefits environmentally of ‘slowing down a bit‘ and that life goes on without jetting all over the world or people driving thousands of miles a week rather than making phone calls/Skype calls/working from home.

 

[Beef farmer]

Can see the world being a different place after coronavirus has gone, think with flights being cancelled all over the world and industry being brought to a standstill in areas it will highlight the benefits environmentally of ‘slowing down a bit‘ and that life goes on without jetting all over the world or people driving thousands of miles a week rather than making phone calls/Skype calls/working from home.

The air pollution maps since the slow down are eye opening

 

[spin cycle]

you're welcome

 

[Scholsey]

The air pollution maps since the slow down are eye opening

I bet not 1 farmer in the world has stopped farming........

 

[Scholsey]

The air pollution maps since the slow down are eye opening

 

[kiwi pom]

I bet not 1 farmer in the world has stopped farming........

Not everyone is a farmer though. "slowing down a bit" will Put hundreds of thousands of people out of work. Not sure that's going to help the planet much, its certainly not going to push food prices up because no one will be able to afford it.
It does sound nice and makes sense from an environmental view point, not very practical though.

 

[Beef farmer]

Covid19 stops cows from belching you know.

 

[Scholsey]

Not everyone is a farmer though. "slowing down a bit" will Put hundreds of thousands of people out of work. Not sure that's going to help the planet much, its certainly not going to push food prices up because no one will be able to afford it.
It does sound nice and makes sense from an environmental view point, not very practical though.

If it does happen maybe it just shows what was happening isnt sustainable and maybe something like coronavirus is what is going to 'level the playing field' a bit. I am a big sport fan and couldnt even contemplate the premier league ever being postponed but it has and life continues, same with all these other events, golf, marathons, festivals, f1, the giro, there wont be enough time to reschedule all these events and people will see everything we are made to think is so important isnt.

 

[som farmer]

Not everyone is a farmer though. "slowing down a bit" will Put hundreds of thousands of people out of work. Not sure that's going to help the planet much, its certainly not going to push food prices up because no one will be able to afford it.
It does sound nice and makes sense from an environmental view point, not very practical though.

spot on, the wheel of life will keep turning, people have to eat, but they have to have money to buy it, most have to work, to earn the money, to buy the food. What's the alternative ? soup kitchens, food riots, people starving to death, it aint gonna happen, only the 'greenies' would think that would be right. Unfortuantly, the answer is, it's got to run it's course, boris is right to say, we will lose loved ones, the blame will be aimed at guv, all they can do, is listen to the experts, do as they say, and hope for the best.

 

[kiwi pom]

If it does happen maybe it just shows what was happening isnt sustainable and maybe something like coronavirus is what is going to 'level the playing field' a bit. I am a big sport fan and couldnt even contemplate the premier league ever being postponed but it has and life continues, same with all these other events, golf, marathons, festivals, f1, the giro, there wont be enough time to reschedule all these events and people will see everything we are made to think is so important isnt.

Short term we can hopefully survive the slowdown, although a lot of people are already losing their jobs.
There are literally millions of people that depend on non essential things like sports, travel, tourism, leisure etc and then the support industries that back them, logistics, airline manufacturers, oil industry staff etc.
What's everyone going to do? Its not too bad at the moment because all the footballers etc know (or hope) its only for a short time, what will happen if its not?

 

[Scholsey]

Short term we can hopefully survive the slowdown, although a lot of people are already losing their jobs.
There are literally millions of people that depend on non essential things like sports, travel, tourism, leisure etc and then the support industries that back them, logistics, airline manufacturers, oil industry staff etc.
What's everyone going to do? Its not too bad at the moment because all the footballers etc know (or hope) its only for a short time, what will happen if its not?

Its just my theory, I hope I am wrong but I think there is a strong chance I am not, I would put a lot of money on that there will never be as many flights/day as there were say a couple of months ago.

 

[Beef farmer]

Short term we can hopefully survive the slowdown, although a lot of people are already losing their jobs.
There are literally millions of people that depend on non essential things like sports, travel, tourism, leisure etc and then the support industries that back them, logistics, airline manufacturers, oil industry staff etc.
What's everyone going to do? Its not too bad at the moment because all the footballers etc know (or hope) its only for a short time, what will happen if its not?

Just look at British airways letter to its staff

 

[Moorlands]

Its just my theory, I hope I am wrong but I think there is a strong chance I am not, I would put a lot of money on that there will never be as many flights/day as there were say a couple of months ago.

Would it be a bad thing if flights/day where reduced long term?

 

[Scholsey]

Would it be a bad thing if flights/day where reduced long term?

If your job relies on it then yes, for everyone else, no.

 

[Headless chicken]

From our group meeting regarding carbon it would seem that there was no “right” way as in extensively grazed compared to housed there was no big difference. The difference came from not hitting your targets. Feeding for 8000l and getting 7000l. Imported soya from South America is a no no but North America or Europe is acceptable but with a push towards rapemeal. PK is a big sticking point and something I personally pull out at every chance.
The world after corona virus will imo be far more focused on reduced movement and looking towards what can be produced locally through the risk of disease spread in the future.

 

[jerseycowsman]

The air pollution maps since the slow down are eye opening

Have you got some links?