Quebec milk producers are among the most proactive on the planet when it comes to sustainable development. Overview of the main practices they implement to ensure the protection of the environment and to reduce their carbon footprint.
1.
CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN SOIL
When root systems come to the rescue
The vast majority of dairy farms grow wheat, corn, soybeans and perennial forage plants used in the composition of hay and silage to feed their cows, and some also produce market garden products intended for sale or for family consumption. These crops are essential to human and animal life, and many actions can be taken to improve soil management and reduce the use of pesticides and mineral and synthetic chemical fertilizers. Producers can reduce tillage, leave fields covered by residues or crops during the winter season and opt for direct seeding in order to promote biological carbon capture, particularly through root systems, while preventing soil erosion. topsoil. These practices require patience and special machinery, but give very good results in a few years.
2.
THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
And that includes manure processing!
Even if Quebec is fortunate to be able to count on its hydroelectricity, a clean and 99% renewable energy, the pressure exerted on this resource continues to increase, and other avenues must be explored. At the same time, it is clear that we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This is how some producers rely on the installation of wind turbines and solar panels. But there is another source of renewable energy that we find in abundance (really!) on dairy farms: it is manure and slurry, the solid and liquid waste of cows, which can be transformed in biogas. The COOP Agri-Énergie of Warwick, which brings together thirteen dairy producers from the MRC of Arthabaska, is the very first in Quebec to devote itself to this development project, which is already producing concrete results. Organic matter from cattle is harvested on the farm, then transported to the biomethanation complex, which was chosen because of the large number of dairy farms in the area and its proximity to the gas network. Manure and slurry are purified and processed on site, then converted into renewable energy. This is a fine example of a short-loop circular economy, which means that our milk producers also become energy producers!
3.
IMPROVING ANIMAL NUTRITION
Objective: to minimize methane emissions
Digestion of cows naturally produces methane, and one effective way to reduce these emissions is to pay close attention to their diet. With advice from animal nutrition specialists and the boost offered by feeding robots that control dosages, producers can calibrate their cows’ feed with great precision in order to minimize the effects of their digestion on milk. ‘environment. And this, while offering them what they need to be healthy. What’s on the menu in the barn? Research has shown that diets based on quality grains and forages such as alfalfa, mowed when tender and palatable, aid digestion in the rumen of cows. This type of feeding results in more milk being produced with fewer animals, which generates less methane. To ensure their health, cows are even entitled to feed additives such as yeasts, enzymes, plant extracts and essential oils.
Canadian dairy production uses only about 0.02% of the fresh water supply in southern Canada, where the majority of producers are located.
4.
OPTIMIZING WATER CONSUMPTION
Watchwords: reduce, reuse, recycle
If we compare the water footprint of other milk-producing countries, Quebec obtains good results by using the equivalent of 10.2 liters of water to produce one kilogram of milk, which is equivalent to 72 seconds in the shower. This is much better than New Zealand (249.3 liters), the Netherlands (66.4 liters) or Australia (14.1 liters). In recent years, the water consumption associated with the production of one liter of milk in the country has been reduced by an average of 6%, while the amount of water destined for the soil has decreased by 11%. Proven strategies are behind this excellent performance. Among these, maintaining a cool temperature in the barns, which helps to increase the comfort of the cows and ensures that they have less need to hydrate. Other measures implemented: the prevention and repair of leaks in the water supply and waste water disposal systems, as well as the recovery and recovery of water used for cleaning equipment and cooling systems.
5.
PROTECTION OF WATER SYSTEMS
To prevent runoff, contamination and pollution
Dairy producers are concerned with preserving and maintaining the quality of the water naturally present on their land. When their property, by chance, has natural wetlands, they strive to protect them. First to promote biodiversity, and then to take advantage of their filtering action which prevents possible contamination. Another way to preserve water quality is to optimize crops, in particular by focusing on legumes, perennial forage plants and cover crops, which are plants that fix atmospheric nitrogen. Their presence, which makes it possible to fertilize the next crop, greatly reduces or even eliminates the need to use synthetic chemical fertilizers containing nitrogen to fertilize the soil, which prevents the runoff of this potentially polluting element into the nearby watercourse. Finally, riparian strips, which are plantings of trees and shrubs separating terrestrial areas from aquatic areas, also act as filters that preserve water quality. While promoting biodiversity!
6.
CREATING HABITATS FOR POLLINATORS
Because bees and insects are essential allies for farmers
The number of bees, as we know, has dropped considerably in recent years. A worrying situation, because their work is essential for crops intended for food for humans and farm animals. It is for this reason that 25% of milk producers in Quebec have installed beehives on their land. Some own them, others rent hives to beekeepers or simply allow them to install them on their farm. Dairy farmers also create welcoming environments for wild pollinators and other beneficial insects, including leaving strips of land fallow, promoting floral diversity and planting cover crops.
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