Farm-specific data lowers Bangladesh milk footprint, study finds
Researchers led by Elias Uddin of the University of Connecticut studied emissions at the Bangladesh Agricultural University Dairy Farm over five years. The work, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, involved collaborators at Bangladesh Agricultural University and assessed emissions throughout the production system.
The assessment covered feed production, cattle digestion, manure handling and energy use on the farm. Enteric fermentation accounted for 48% of the total footprint, making it the largest source. Feed production represented 24%, manure management 20% and energy consumption 8%.
For the period as a whole, the farm’s average carbon footprint was calculated at 5.18 kilograms for each kilogram of milk produced. When the researchers applied the IPCC’s Tier 2 method, which uses information about individual animals and farm practices, the result was 27% lower than an earlier calculation based on the less detailed Tier 1 approach.
Milk output per cow rose from 3.53 kilograms a day in 2018 to 5.76 kilograms in 2023, an increase of 63%. Over the same period, the farm’s carbon footprint fell by 37%. The researchers associated the productivity increase with genetic selection and management changes, including balanced diets and more efficient feed use.
The study also examined how emissions are assigned in Bangladesh’s livestock systems. Many cattle are kept for both milk and meat, unlike the more specialised dairy model common in the United States. About half of the emissions on a Bangladeshi dual-purpose cattle farm are assigned to milk, compared with roughly 90% in the US dairy system.
The researchers said that comparing systems by the nutrients supplied through both milk and meat, such as protein or calories, could provide a more useful basis for assessment. They also reported that carbon footprints can differ substantially between farms in the same region, and that national or regional averages may not capture variations in productivity and management.
The findings address the use of emissions data in dairy supply chains and international trade. The study identifies animal productivity, nutrition, genetics and herd management as areas connected with emissions intensity, while its comparison of Tier 1 and Tier 2 accounting methods records the effect of using more detailed farm information.
