500,000 metric tons of cheese

Looking at making investments to support sustainable dairy growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with Andrew Le Gallais at his farm here in Jersey.

We spent a lot of time talking about the environmental impacts of dairying and how, through technology and genetic improvement, the footprint of producing vital animal proteins for booming human populations can be reduced.

I came away thinking about a paper I recently read on cheese manufacturing, the peer-reviewed study published in 2012 by J. L. Capper and R. A. Cady (https://bit.ly/3eeRZqM) and the concluding quote thereof:
"As concerns over the environmental impact of livestock production continue to grow, it is crucial to focus on both diluting (milk component yield) and reducing (BodyWeight) population maintenance requirements to further reduce natural resource use and the environmental impact of dairy production."

Jerseys are smaller animals with a higher conversion rate and reach maturity quicker than other breeds, which reduces the inputs required per litre of milk. This effect is magnified when considering the production of dairy products, as in this study, where the higher concentration of milk solids allows more cheese and butter to be made per litre, reducing transportation costs.

The study determined that for Jerseys and Holsteins to produce the same amount of protein, milkfat and other solids, the Jersey population needs 32% less water, requires 11% less land, produces less waste and uses substantially fewer fossil fuels with a 20% reduction in total carbon footprint. In terms of the amount of Jersey milk needed to produce 500,000 metric tons of cheese, the reduction in carbon footprint is equal to taking 443,900 cars off the road annually.

So an investment in increasing the spread of Jersey genetics in developing dairying systems is an investment in sustainable food sources, and also in the environment.

Beep Beep
#sustainableagriculture #impactinvesting #jerseycow #rwanda #dairycows #blessedarethecheesemakers Royal Jersey Agricultural & Horticultural Society Jersey Overseas Aid