The challenge of sustainability in the dairy supply chain

“Slurry management, feed production and methane emissions: these three sectors alone make up 75% of the environmental impact of a liter of milk. And it is on these that we need to work.” This is said by Davide Tonon, Food & Beverege leed of Quantis Italia, during the meeting “The challenge of sustainability in the dairy supply chain” in the Conference Room of Palazzo Soragna in Parma. “The impact of the livestock sector on the environmental well-being of our planet is enormous – continued Simone Pedrazzini, director of Quantis Italia -: we are talking about 52 tons of C02 annually emitted globally, 15% of the total environmental impact : almost as much as that of the transport sector. These numbers make an impression, but it is necessary to highlight their magnitude. However, there is at the same time a large room for improvement, which can be a positive aspect: if companies start to implement concrete actions, they will be able to really make giant steps “. Antonio Bortoli, general manager of Lattebusche, gives the example: “The raw material is taken and processed on the territory, with a significant reduction in transport emissions. Respect for the customer goes hand in hand with that of the local producer, who is ensured good economic treatment “. The well-being of the territory, understood in a broad sense as the well-being of the community that lives and works there and also of the animals on the farms, is also central to the activity of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. “The 2,500 farms in the supply chain demand a lot from the territory, it is true: but they also return an added value for the commitment to the well-being of the community”, concluded Valentina Pizzamiglio, head of the Consortium’s dairy service: “for this reason we are the leader of a series of projects included in an improvement path that concerns the entire supply chain, such as some studies on biogas and biofuels “.