As you probably know the latest wheeze to reduce emissions in Dairy herds is to add a chemical to the feed that cuts emissions by 27%.
Bovaer is the commercial name. The actual chemical is 3-Nitrooxypropanol “3-NOP”
Having perused the studies supporting this two things stuck me.
Firstly that the chemical will need to be consumed daily, in pellet form, to be effective. Hard to do with outdoor cows I assume. I understand the costs per cow will be about £50pa per animal.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I see this as typical response by industry to the climate issues; using a chemical, which generates profits, to achieve a 'noble' aim.
But the facts on dairy emissions are very clear. It's not the cow's fault. It's the system we humans have of transporting food all over the place.
Have a look at these blog posts:
Food Miles - Why KVB Highlights Them
Have a look at Dairy in the table below.
2 Comments
I’ve shared this as I think it’s really important that people know about it. It’s like sticking a plaster over a wound that needs stitches. No long term thought process on this whatsoever. I’m glad you are keeping people informed. Thank You
Well said Steve. We do not want this poison in our farms.