The dairy sector accounts for around four per cent of all global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), according to a new UN report.

Farm Weekly

The dairy sector accounts for around four per cent of all global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), according to a new United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report.

This figure includes both emissions associated with the production, processing and transportation of milk products, as well as emissions related to meat produced from animals originating from the dairy system.

Considering just global milk production, processing and transportation and excluding meat production, the sector contributes 2.7pc of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, FAO said.

In 2007, the dairy sector emitted 1969 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, of which 1328mt are attributed to milk, 151mt to meat from culled dairy animals and 490mt from calves from the dairy sector that were raised for meat, FAO said.

Carbon dioxide equivalent emission is a standard measurement for comparing emissions of different GHGs.

The FAO report, Greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy sector, covers all major milk production systems from nomadic herds to intensified dairy operations.

It focuses on the entire dairy food chain, including the production and transport of inputs (fertiliser, pesticide and feed) used for dairy farming, on-farm emissions and emissions associated with milk processing and packaging, as well as the transportation of milk products to retailers.

The margin of error of the estimates is +/-26pc.