“Farmers are always striving to improve animal health, welfare and productivity,” Alltech NZ innovation sales manager Nigel Meads says.
“What makes the Alltech E-CO2 approach such an exciting concept is that it quantifies the gains in environmental performance that come along with these improvements and is focused on the animal, the environment and profitability.”
The Dairy EA model has been developed to help producers measure and lower the carbon footprint of their dairy operation. These accredited assessments capture vast in-depth data on animal production, health, feed, fertiliser, water, energy and resource-use.
The model goes on to provide producers with a summary report that splits out the three key GHGs and identifies the sources of each. The report also provides guidance on recommended actions for the farmer to help improve their numbers.
Knowing a farm’s nitrous oxide and methane numbers is the first step toward managing and knowing how to reduce on-farm emissions.
“Measurement is key. Our farmers understanding their numbers means they are in a position to decide how to make changes to their farming practices to mitigate or reduce emissions,” He Waka Eke Noa: The Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership programme director Kelly Forster says.
Sequestration is one of the most important pillars that the He Waka Eke Noa partners are working through this year. The partnership is developing recommendations for an appropriate farm level emissions pricing system, which includes recognition and measurement of on-farm sequestration. The pricing system needs to be recommended to ministers next year and be functioning in 2025.
“All farmers knowing their numbers by December 2022 is an ambitious target,” Forster says.
“He Waka Eke Noa’s partners are committed to supporting their farmers. This includes development of new calculators to support farmers across sectors to know their GHG footprint and how to reduce it well before our pricing system is ready to kick in.”
Since December last year, when the first Greenhouse Gases: Farm Planning Guidance was released, industry bodies have been incorporating information relevant to their levy payers into their Farm Environment Plans (FEPs). The guidance sets out basic principles to guide farmers, growers and advisors, with practical information on opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and to capture carbon.
Alltech has a mission of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty, which calls for the agri-food industry to utilise science-based solutions, collaboration and innovation to help ensure sustainable food production, while conserving the Earth’s natural resources. Working with He Waka Eke Noa and NZ farmers to provide measurement tools to ensure their sustainability and profitability contributes to Alltech’s Planet of Plenty mission, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action, which is one of the nine SDGs to which Alltech is committed.
“We always aim to provide farmers with the information, advice and support they require to implement positive environmental management steps,” Meads says.
“Lowering a farm’s carbon footprint goes hand-in-hand with increasing farm efficiency and therefore profitability, which is a win for everyone.”
More: For more information check out alltech-e-co2.com and hewakaekenoa.nz
