A specialised international database has already shown that the carbon footprint of Belgian milk is among the lowest worldwide. Indeed, a recent scientific research project by ILVO (the Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research) puts Flanders at no. 1.
On average, milk production in Flanders is high per lactating cow per year. Especially thanks to breed choice, farm management in terms of disease prevention and animal welfare, grassland management, manure treatment and precise ration compositions.
But the same factors also influence greenhouse gas emissions, according to detailed individual climate scans made on exactly 146 Flemish dairy farms. On average, 1 litre of milk there represents barely 0.99 kg of CO₂ equivalents - some score much better! - while the average for Europe, for example, is 1.39 kg. By the way, it is striking that climate-efficient milk production is not typology-dependent, i.e. typical farm characteristics such as large- or small-scale, organic or not, grazing or not ... do not play a role, the ILVO further states.
Despite our leading position in the world, ILVO provides tailor-made advice for each dairy farm to constantly make the dairy sector more sustainable and wants to continue to do so. Especially in the field of feed and fertilisation, there is still a lot of methane to be removed from the air.
Paraphrasing the old advertising message Milk is necessary, milk does you good, we could say Milk is necessary, Flemish milk does you best.'
