Cadbury today unveiled its Cadbury Dairy Strategy, a unique partnership with dairy farmers in Selkley Vale designed to help reduce the environmental impact of dairy farming.
In partnership with the Carbon Trust Cadbury has, for the first time, calculated the carbon footprint for milk chocolate and discovered that milk contributes to just over 60% of emissions. As a result, the partnership – which is part of Cadbury’s broader ’Purple Goes Green’ environmental initiative – will undertake a pilot programme working with dairy farmers in Selkley Vale in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, providing practical advice to help farmers reduce emissions.
It includes a Cadbury Guide to Low Carbon Dairy Farming – a best practice guide to reduce the carbon impact of dairy farming. The guide, which has recently been distributed to the dairy farmers, gives an overview of the factors that contribute to carbon emissions from milk production and provides practical measures that farmers can implement to reduce them. Cadbury has shared the learnings with external stakeholders, such as BITC, and key customers including Asda. Over the next year, the aim is to involve a number of flagship farms in the Selkley Vale Group to pilot the measures outlined in the guide.
The greenhouse gases targeted by the guide are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, which contribute 23%, 25% and 52% of emissions from the average dairy farm, respectively. The average dairy cow emits between 80-120kg of methane a year (source: UN Food & Dairy Organisation), which is equivalent to the emissions produced by driving an average family car for a year. Cadbury’s guide aims to reduce these emissions – caused in the majority by cow flatulence, cow ’burping’ and cow respiration, through changes to farm management practises such as;
o Improving herd health and welfare, enabling more milk to be produced which reduces greenhouse gas production per litre
o Optimising milk yields e.g. giving cows the burp reducing diet with a balanced nutritional profile – reducing the fibre levels and increasing the starch level of cow feed
o Prudent use of fertilisers – appropriate to crop demand, timed to minimise wastage and avoiding excess use of inorganic fertilisers
o Reducing energy consumption – switching off equipment when not in use, using timers and passive infrared sensors to ensure equipment and lighting is only on when needed
The partnership is just one of the initiatives Cadbury is running as part of its Purple Goes Green strategy, in which Cadbury has committed to an absolute reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2020. The company also set targets to save packaging and water. Cadbury has reported progress on its sustainability commitments in its 2007/08 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability review, launched online at: www.dearcadbury.com
Ian Walsh, Global Head of Environment at Cadbury, said:
"At Cadbury we are committed to tackling climate change and we rely on scientific research to inform the actions we take and ensure that we reach our green targets. Reducing our emissions is an exciting challenge. When I started in this role I had no idea I would find myself in a field in Wiltshire discussing how to reduce the carbon emissions from burping cows! But it does demonstrate Cadbury’s determination to examine every level of our supply chain."
Robert Cooper, one of the Dairy Farmers taking part in the pilot, said:
"We are proud to produce fresh milk for Cadbury, which is a vital element in the production of chocolate, and are committed to improving our carbon footprint for the production of milk. This includes every activity that produces methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. Our partnership to improve the environmental impact of dairy farming is the right step forward – for us, for Cadbury, for chocolate and for the environment."
Euan Murray, Carbon Footprinting General Manager at the Carbon Trust, added:
"In looking at how to reduce its overall environmental impact and drive out emissions from the beginning of its supply chain, Cadbury has taken a significant step forward. The Cadbury Dairy Strategy could play a lead role in helping farmers reduce their carbon footprint both here and abroad and has benefits across the wider food – and particularly the dairy industry."
