Milk too is being held to the scrutiny of sustainability, with an initiative financed by Lombardy’s Rural Development Program in a unique area of the region: that of the Valle del Mincio, today threatened by climate change.
The mission of the 1.2.01 initiative known as “Latte Sostenibile” [Sustainable Milk] is to spread knowledge about the best techniques available for reducing the carbon footprint of livestock farms that produce cows’ milk in the region of the Valle del Mincio’s permanent pastures, an area of enormous economic value and an example of sustainability, known for its exceptional capacity for self-supplying livestock feed.
The degree to which the milk from this district is sustainable is confirmed by analysis of the carbon footprint (the quantity of greenhouse gases generated throughout the entire life cycle of a product) of 10 livestock farms.
The analyses examined 4,600 hectares in the municipalities of Goito, Marmirolo, Porto Mantovano, and Roverbella, amounting to 25% of the total agricultural surface area.
The results are clear: the impact of these farms is comparable to that reported by the most efficient companies in Central Europe, demonstration of the fact that the agricultural system traditionally adopted in the Valle del Mincio can be considered not only an example to be followed in terms of environmental sustainability, but also an economically efficient model for the self-production of high quality hay.
For illustrative purposes, the application of low-carbon methods and techniques in dairy farms involved the primary aspects of production and took into account factors related to both agriculture and livestock, in keeping with the inextricable connection between the production of forage in permanent pastures and the feeding of cattle.
In particular, good practices were aimed at protecting the historic and traditional use of permanent pastures and their role as a carbons sink for contrasting climate change.
It was also defined the best soil management technique, even with innovative machinery, for preserving the fertility of the terrain and rehabilitating deteriorated pastures.
Through a special app – Latte Sostenibile, released during the course of the project – companies are now able to quantify and communicate the carbon footprint of their products to consumers, something which translates into greater transparency when it comes to the management of greenhouse gas emissions connected to the entire lifecycle of a product.
But that’s not all. By calculating their carbon footprint, companies are able to identify the processes that have the highest impact and evaluate the effects of introducing good practices, thus improving all of their decision making processes.
Furthermore, the app allows for comparison between the various Italian dairy farms (different from that of the production of Grana Padano DOP) connected to the area of Valle de Mincio’s permanent pastures.
The “Latte sostenibile” project, coordinated by the Fondazione CRPA Research Studies of Reggio Emilia, also saw the participation of the local dairy farms and companies that are involved the “Promotion of the Region of Valle del Mincio’s Permanent Pastures” integrated area project and the Mincio Park Authority.
