Brazzale Says Dairy’s Environmental Impact Is Overestimated
Piercristiano Brazzale said the environmental impact attributed to dairy farming is overestimated, particularly in calculations of greenhouse-gas emissions. He said current carbon-footprint methods do not adequately distinguish between emissions from livestock and carbon released from fossil-fuel reserves.
Brazzale described cattle emissions as part of a biological cycle. Carbon absorbed by plants through photosynthesis is consumed in feed, and some of it is later released by animals as carbon dioxide or methane. On that basis, he said a grazing cow does not add more carbon than the amount absorbed through its forage. He called the process an example of a circular economy.
He said the livestock sector is regularly presented with figures that require more precise interpretation. At climate conferences, he has heard claims that livestock produces 25% of greenhouse-gas emissions, while agriculture accounts for 25% of human-caused methane and livestock represents roughly 15-18%. He also cited estimates placing livestock methane at between 20% and 40% of total human-related methane emissions.
Brazzale said the wide range of figures showed the need for common assessment methods. The International Dairy Federation is working on approaches covering atmospheric emissions, water use and land use, he said. His comments came in the context of discussions at forums including the UN climate conferences and the Codex Alimentarius.
At Codex Alimentarius, Brazzale said, the nutritional contribution of dairy products should be assessed more accurately. He rejected the general view that fat is harmful, saying that fats are necessary in appropriate quantities. He described dairy products as sources of major macronutrients and micronutrients and said they form part of a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet when consumed in the recommended amounts.
Guidelines supported by the scientific work to which he referred generally recommend daily consumption of between about 200-250 grams and 500 grams of milk or dairy equivalents, depending on the guideline. Brazzale also said dairy’s role extended beyond nutrition: around 6 billion people consume dairy products, while the value chain includes 132 million dairy farms and more than 600 million people living on those farms. A further 400 million people work in dairy processing and related activities, according to figures he cited.
He said cows also convert feed that people cannot eat into food with high nutritional value. Brazzale was president of the International Dairy Federation from 2020 to 2024 and is co-owner of Brazzale, an Italian dairy company, where he represents the seventh generation of his family in the business. Gilles Froment now holds the federation’s presidency.
