Sustainability Studies

Product Carbon Footprint Dairy Farming

Dairy farming produces various emissions in grams of CO₂ equivalents per kg of milk:

On the Dairy Farm (2019)

• Rumen fermentation & digestion (methane): 525g
• Manure (methane): 144g
• Manure and soil (nitrous oxide): 118g
• Energy use (CO₂): 30g
• Total on dairy farm: 817g

In Production of Raw Materials (2019)

• Concentrated feed (CO₂): 312g
• Roughage and by-products (CO₂): 14g
• Fertilizer (CO₂): 36g
• Energy use (CO₂): 17g
• Other (CO₂): 36g
• Total production raw materials: 415g

Total dairy farming: 1,232g CO₂ equivalents per kg milk

Advantages vs. Disadvantages

Advantages

1. Reduces nitrogen emissions - by incorporating cow manure into building products, the manure is diverted from traditional management practices such as storage and spreading on agricultural land, which are the main sources of nitrogen emissions.

2. Provides a sustainable alternative to cement for stabilizing properties.

3. Improves water resistance of clay.

4. Lower density and thermal conductivity than usual cement plaster.

5. Utilizes agricultural waste effectively.

Disadvantages

1. Time and energy intensive as there is no infrastructure yet.
2. Odour and bacterial hazards require careful handling.

Sources: Dutch Dairy in Figures, 2020-2023; Jun, P. et al, 2001; Manyi-Loh et al, 2016