circular economy

Few days ago, OZOLEA received an important confirmation for its leading product, OZOLEA-MAST.

OZOLEA is proud to announce that OZOLEA-MAST has been approved as compliant input for organic dairy farming in Wisconsin, one of the US federal states with a high concentration of organic dairy farms.

According to the US Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), in 2016 more than 2,500 US dairy farms produced organic milk. Wisconsin was the second federal state with the largest number of organic dairy farms (455), preceded by New York (486) and followed by Pennsylvania (303). Moreover, Wisconsin was amongst states that produced large quantities of organic milk (California, Texas, Wisconsin, Oregon and New York) (USDA, 2016).

Prevention in US organic dairy farming is vital, since, in case of health issues, farmers can rely only on a group of products approved as compliant inputs and no antibiotics, that are not allowed in organic dairy farming. Many of the products approved are restricted in how and what situations they can be used.

The main aim of OZOLEA-MAST is to provide farmers with innocuous, effective, safe, sustainable, and affordable tools and protocols to reduce the use of unnecessary antibiotics in dairies. Where a specific standard, such as that set out for the US organic dairy farming, has clear restrictions on the use of antibiotics and no alternatives are available yet, OZOLEA-MAST becomes strategic for managing udder issues in dairy cows.

With OZOLEA-MAST, along with the implementation of OZOLEA protocols, the occurrence of severe clinical events is remarkably reduced. The animals are less stressed and many painful phenomena are avoided, with a positive impact for the dairy farmers’ pockets and the environment.

This approval has a double importance for OZOLEA: in addition to a further step towards the sustainability of the dairy sector, including organic dairy farming, it is an endorsement received from the bottom of the dairy sector that will be beneficial for any player of the organic dairy supply chain, including consumers.

Organic dairy farming principles are substantially those of a circular model. And the circular model of dairy farming, both organic and conventional, is the core goal of OZOLEA’s philosophy and research.

Consumer safety and food safety can be ensured by using OZOLEA-MAST. Leaving no chemical residue in the milk and being the right tool for the reduction of antibiotic resistant strains stemming from the improper use of antibiotics, OZOLEA-MAST can help protect consumers from these risks.

Moreover, consumers are more and more demanding about sustainable food products. Avoiding food waste, as for withdrawal procedures, and reducing resource usage per liter of milk produced are some of the main environmental benefits of the OZOLEA model.

OZOLEA.

For you,
for animals,
for the environment.

The whole dairy sector has been experiencing pressure from the outside world about environmental impacts and animal welfare.

Actually, we have accepted our responsibilities and strived to do our best in improving our performances. Yes, this must be said loud: we improved. And we know it. We also know that we must step up a little bit our effort to meet new goals.

To do this, we have to think clearly, have simple and effective strategies and a concrete support.

Once again, it is not a matter of major investments: it is an efficiency issue.

And when it comes to efficiency while running any type of activity, responsible production and consumption have a positive impact, first of all for our pockets.

One month ago, we discussed how it is important to prevent and/or control mastitis and other diseases, avoid infrastructure issues and be careful when delivering the milk to processors by checking antibiotic residues. These simple attentions in management would help us make the best production out of our dairy herd and reduce milk loss.

Then, we focused on good quality manure: homegrown crop production is our own great opportunity to dispose of the waste produced by our dairy cows. We can use it as a fertilizer to meet nutritional demand of crops, while economically optimizing the entire dairy system.

Two weeks ago, we shifted the focus to water quality. There is a lot around it: being able consumers of farming inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics allows us to make water cleaner. Using water more efficiently can help us preserve agricultural productivity.

Furthermore, last week we had a precise idea of what effective and prompt disease management would mean for our dairy herd, milk production, profit and the environment.

The main leitmotiv is unique, simple and absolutely feasible: we have to aim at responsible production and consumption. That is doing more with less.

Let’s go further: by implementing circular economy practices, we can be one step closer to those goals that we are called to achieve. But we have to be really convinced.

Is there anything new in circular practices for dairy farmers? Dairy farming has always had a circular behavior, if we consider a simple dairy circle. Grass can grow thanks to soil nutrients, and is used to feed cows. Cows produce milk and, as living beings, produce waste (manure) that we will use on crop fields. Thanks to manure, we can fertilize the soil. Then, when transforming milk in cheese, the whey can be used to produce other dairy products.

Unfortunately, we know that we have overused inputs to maximise production and this has complicated milk production and related impacts on the environment.

However, shifting milk production back to its circular nature is still possible.

circular economy

OZOLEA-MAST approved as a compliant input for organic dairy farming in Wisconsin

The circular nature of dairy farming