Producing a liter of milk in California emits less greenhouse gas and uses less land and water than it did in 1964, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.
“We compared 1964 through 2014 and found a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gases to produce the same quantity and quality of milk,” said senior author Ermias Kebreab, professor and Sesnon Endowed Chair in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis. “The magnitude of change is surprising.”
Scientists conducted a lifecycle environmental assessment of cows from the time they are born to the time they leave the farm gate. The study included such inputs as producing feed for the animals, and the machinery and transportation needed to produce milk.
Cows belch methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as part of their digestive process. The study found the biggest emission cuts came from reductions in these emissions, known as enteric methane, compared to reductions in emissions from manure.
Read more at University of California - Davis
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