Minimizing carbon footprint in dairy production and processing

Summary

Leonie Van Zuilichem and her partner Roel Van Den Borne operate a 120-cow dairy farm in North Brabant, Netherlands. Their farm is part of the Climate Farm Demo Network, and focuses on reducing carbon emissions while maintaining high efficiency. Key measures include using by-products like brewery feed, optimizing milk production with fewer cows, and processing milk on-site to minimize supply chain emissions.
During a demo event, attendees discussed the farm’s low carbon footprint, explored current practices, and considered future measures, such as further reducing concentrate feed and improving cow longevity.
Leonie's and Roel's motivation to participate in the Climate Farm Demo project is to assess their emissions baseline and implement further improvements to lower their carbon footprint sustainably over time.