The impact of trace mineral source on the carbon footprint of dairy feed production

It should be no secret that a major push is underway within the dairy industry to develop products, programs and practices that will significantly reduce the CO₂eq emissions of dairy cattle. While much progress has been achieved, there is still a long way to go to achieve the objectives that various governmental and consumer groups have established as obtainable targets for the carbon footprint of a dairy farm per kg of milk produced. One key finding that has emerged from this journey is that it is highly unlikely that any one product, program or practice will, by itself achieve the targeted CO₂eq reduction objectives that have been set for dairy farmers. Rather, the quest to achieve a significant reduction of CO₂eq emissions from dairy cows will need to be a group endeavor, with several products, programs and practices contributing to a successful outcome. Reports indicate that 27% of the total carbon footprint of a dairy farm are emissions from on-farm supply sources, including emissions from the production of feed supplied to the dairy farm (see Figure 1). Therefore, beyond the need to lower the carbon footprint of the dairy cow is the growing need of premixers and feed compounders to provide dairy producers with a total CO₂eq number for the feed they are sellin.

To assist producers of dairy feed with calculating the CO₂eq emissions resulting from producing the ingredients they use within their feed, NGO and industry groups have agreed on a set of guidelines that must be used to calculate the CO₂eq number of ingredients used in dairy feed. At the heart of this evaluation is a tool referred to as a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA is a comprehensive template that must be completed for each proposed ingredient. Following the completion of the LCA, an independent review must be performed to ensure that the development of the LCA was completed in accordance with all approved guidelines (ISO 14040 and 14044 statues). If the information is assessed to be correct, the LCA’s outcome will be verified, providing dairy feed producers with an independent verification on the CO₂eq number of a particular ingredient they use in their dariy feeds.

Having this number in hand allows dairy nutritionists and dairy feed producers to effectively evaluate the individual CO₂eq impact of various ingredients being added to the blend, with the objective of lower the blend’s total. Having this number in hand allows dairy nutritionists and producers to effectively evaluate the individual CO₂eq impact of various ingredients being added to the blend, with the objective of lower the blend’s total CO₂eq, while maintaining its nutritional requirements. To assist with this growing need, an LCA which identifies the carbon footprint for each of Selko IntelliBond’s individual products was completed recently (See Figure 2). These values are specific to the Selko IntelliBond manufacturing process and will be of value to feed compounders and premixer that are working to reduce the carbon footprint of the dairy feeds they supply to dairy farmers.

Figure 2, CO₂ equivalents per metric ton of Selko IntelliBond produced and per kg of metal for Selko IntelliBond C, Selko IntelliBond Z and Selko IntelliBond M.

The Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) has a database that holds a comprehensive collection of all animal feed ingredients for which the carbon footprint of producing the particular animal feed ingredient was calculated. It only contains datasets for animal feed ingredients that were created using LCA methodology. Its primary purpose is to provide manufacturers of animal feed a credible and transparent environmental assessment of the animal feed ingredients they use in their feeds.

All the information about the carbon footprint of animal feed ingredients that is included in the GFLI database has been validated by a team of independent experts by using a FAO-LEAP and EU-PEF compliant methodology. This methodology is built on 4 reference documents to adhere to globally standardized guidelines of the FAO and the EU. These 4 guidelines are the FAO LEAP feed guidelines (2016), the FAO LEAP feed additives guidelines (2020), the EU Feed PEF database methodology (2017), and the Feed PEFCR (2018).

The detailed information in the database can assist the industry in improving their environmental footprint. Selko IntelliBond is the first feed additive for animals that was incorporated into this database, which is a significant achievement. GFLI certification of an animal feed additive provides recognition and validation from an independent, prestigious institute. Furthermore, inclusion in the GFLI database allows the data to be accessible to a global audience that is working hard to make dairy and beef farming more sustainable.

The journey towards reaching the targets set for the dairy industry by governments, consumer groups and by dairy milk processors will not be an easy journey. A holistic approach will be required, which should include the use of dairy feed that has been produced with a minimal carbon footprint. The LCA for the 3 Selko IntelliBond products will provide producers of dairy feed with an independent verification on the CO₂eq number of the trace mineral source they use in their dairy feeds.