Sustainability levels within Northern Ireland’s dairy sector are on the rise, according to the latest statistics.
Figures, published recently by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), show that total emissions (excluding sequestration) related to milk production, decreased from an average of 1,927g of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per kilogramme of energy corrected milk (ECM) in 1990, to 1,214g in 2021.
While milk production in the dairy sector has expanded by 92% since 1990, the total number of dairy cows over this period has increased by only 15%, meaning this improvement in carbon footprint has been driven by substantial increases in milk yield per cow.
This is the eighth release of the NI Carbon Intensity Indicators (CII), published by DAERA.
It also confirmed a number of more general trends, where sustainability is concerned, across the economy as a whole.
Gross Value Added (GVA) is used to measure NI’s economic output. Since 1998 it has grown substantially, while greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have declined.
The ratio of total GHG emissions to GVA in NI, decreased 66% from 1998 to 2021.
In 2021, GHG emissions intensity for NI was estimated at around 0.49kg of CO2 equivalent per £ of GVA. In 1998 this figure stood at 1.43kg.
GHG emissions per-capita have decreased by 36% from 18.3t CO2 equivalent per person in 1990 to 11.8t in 2021.
Moreover, the population increased by 19% over this period, while emissions decreased by 23%.
GHG emissions per unit of electricity generated decreased 51% from 658g CO2 per kWh in 2004, to 322g in 2021.
This has been driven by the growth of renewable energy generation in NI, a shift away from coal use towards gas for electricity generation, and improvements in energy efficiency.
NI Dairy Council chief executive officer (CEO), Ian Stevenson, has highlighted the significance of the latest DAERA figures for the milk sector.
According to Stevenson, the outlook is positive for the future sustainability of the milk sector
“Our farmers and processors are following evidence-based guidance from DAERA, from knowledge and research institutions such as the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), and investing in new technologies and implementing processes, all with the aim of being more sustainable.
“Recently I heard the phrase ‘comfortable co-existence’.
“I think this is a fitting description of the way climate change mitigation works hand-in-hand with productive and profitable farming, while retaining the culture and identity of the farming family model,” he added.
“It’s important when we talk about targets and emissions, that we don’t lose sight of the fact that the dairy sector is made up of 3,200 dairy farming families – who are the fabric of rural Northern Ireland.”