sustainability

Dairy supply chain, a team game against AMR

Marketing 15 December 2021 News

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a food safety risk since the food chain is a potential route of exposure to resistant bacteria for everyone. Bacteria can develop resistance to chemical substances both in plant and animal production, thus good hygiene practices aiming at prevention and control by using antimicrobials prudently are key to addressing AMR.

In addition to the increased risks associated with resistant bacteria, AMR must be addressed since a further development would limit the effectiveness of already existing antimicrobial agents even more.

In the dairy sector, antimicrobials are vital tools for health management. In particular, udder issues in dairy cattle have led to an extensive use of such products. Dairy farmers have made improvements by implementing efficient practices on farms. However, countries all around the globe are demanding actions against AMR through prudent use of antimicrobials in livestock production, and some of them by the definition of a specific regulatory framework (e.g., the European Union with the new Regulation on Veterinary Medicines¹).

AMR has no borders. It can spread in humans, animals and the environment and across countries. This means that we must build a global team against AMR, which must be coordinated, at sector level, throughout the entire food supply chain.

Thus, if we consider the dairy supply chain, any operator has to follow effective rules to help tackle AMR.

The bulk of the work must occur in milk production. Dairy farmers are directly involved in this fight, as they have to ensure the best biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction of diseases and resistant strains onto the farm. This implies: a well-defined health management programme, the prudent use of antimicrobials as indicated by the manufacturer, a good milking routine, safe feed and water, comfort for the animals.

In this context, the support from veterinarians is required. Veterinarians have a key role in ensuring prudent use of antimicrobials; therefore, when prescribing antimicrobial medicinal products, they have to rely on their knowledge of AMR, their epidemiological and clinical knowledge and their understanding of the risk factors for individual animals or group of animals.

As a food safety issue, AMR concerns also dairy processing. As a matter of fact, processors, too, are involved in the fight; they can do their part by: providing clear specifications for raw milk, setting up quality management systems, applying HACCP principles for the management of AMR-related hazards, audit activities, checking antimicrobial residues at the plant gates.

OZOLEA launched the SSafeMILK project to support the sustainability of the dairy supply chain by providing tools and strategies against AMR in dairy. SSafeMILK is a circular chain production model benefiting all the players of the dairy industry. The effort made by farmers will be adequately valued for a more sustainable livestock production. Dairy processors will also benefit from a more sustainable milk. More sustainable milk and dairy products mean safer food to consumers.

Many dairy farmers, dairy processors and veterinary products distributors have already taken part in this project which will also benefit food consumers for a safer, more sustainable and environmentally friendly dairy supply chain².

OZOLEA is ready to welcome other players, such as dairy processors, in this project.

¹ Reg. (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicines applicable from 28 January 2022: are we ready?

https://www.ozolea.it/reg-eu-20196-on-veterinary-medicines-applicable-from-28-january-2022-are-we-ready/

² Reducing antibiotic usage in dairy cattle: OZOLEA five years after its foundation.

https://www.ozolea.it/reducing-antibiotic-usage-in-dairy-cattle-ozolea-five-years-after-its-foundation/

Guidance on Antimicrobial Resistance from the Dairy Sector

https://fil-idf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Factsheet-003_2017-Guidance-on-Antimicrobial-Resistance-from-the-Dairy-Sector.pdf

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Supporting dairy farmers’ income with affordable and innovative tools

Marketing 11 June 2021 News

Efficiency is a great support for the achievement of sustainability, but it is not enough. At some point, it will be necessary to incur major investments to renovate and innovate our dairy farm properly.

We certainly can do better with efficiency¹, and this has to be the first rule towards sustainability.

The environmental sustainability goals to be achieved by 2030 are ambitious: they deserve awareness, action, determination, as well as economic means.

In the European Union, small and medium-sized dairy farms are still far from satisfactory levels of income that could make further investments possible (Poczta et al., 2020)¹.

And peculiar challenges of the milk market still persist¹.

Furthermore, some issues tend to worsen more in developing countries rather than in developed areas: this is the case, for example, of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenomenon².

The urgency behind all the aspects we need to face to achieve sustainability makes it clearer than ever: we must promote inclusive economic growth, build resilience, support equal rights to economic resources and property rights, at national and international level.

The scenario depicted by the FAO³is that of a declining extreme poverty since 1990, but with a still high number of people living in these conditions. To give some figures, one in five people in developing countries lived with less than US $ 1.90 per individual per day in 2013 (World Bank, 2017).

Poverty rates have declined but progress has been not equitable, and this cannot be accepted.

The whole livestock production can play a role in helping rural society achieve its livelihood goals³. Its contribution to ending poverty has already been described, and goes along with the rapid growth expected for this sector.

Livestock production can provide enough safe⁴and nutritious⁵ food for everyone; it is vital for other business activities⁶, in that it creates economic value; it is fundamental for society⁷. Moreover, it plays an essential role in supporting poor rural households to maintain their livelihood conditions.

All in all, it carries a great potential with many beneficial effects that may not be fully captured, especially by those living in poverty.

Both micro- and macroeconomic factors influence the effective capacity of the livestock sector to convert the expected rapid growth into poverty decrease³.

Since these factors include, among others, the ability of producers to use available assets to generate income and the possibility for consumers to get some advantages from more competitive prices, the solution is to be sought in a better value distribution¹ and in making innovation, technology, tools and strategies available and affordable for everyone⁸.

It will help reduce poverty, it will help boost sustainable development.

This was another valid reason for OZOLEA to launch the SSafeMILK project. Dairy is one of the valuable productions of the livestock sector. With its project, OZOLEA’s commits to the implementation of the income of 1.4 billion dairy farmers worldwide by boosting productivity and certifying product value for better price negotiation.

Globally, it is a helping hand for them to make sustainable development happen on their farms.

¹ We need cohesion and sharing results to make consumers understand the importance of paying the fair price for milk.

https://www.ozolea.it/we-need-cohesion-and-sharing-results-to-make-consumers-understand-the-importance-of-paying-the-fair-price-for-milk/

²AMR: for a global action, no one must be left behind.

https://www.ozolea.it/amr-for-a-global-action-no-one-must-be-left-behind/

³ Transforming the livestock sector through the Sustainable Development Goals.

http://www.fao.org/3/CA1201EN/ca1201en.pdf

⁴ Prevention and control in livestock productions mean more food safety, more food security and good health.

https://www.ozolea.it/prevention-and-control-in-livestock-productions-mean-more-food-safety-more-food-security-and-good-health/

⁵ Save your milk, don’t waste it: the world must be nourished.

https://www.ozolea.it/save-your-milk-dont-waste-it-the-world-must-be-nourished/

⁶Livestock husbandry has a multiplier effect on other business activities.

https://www.ozolea.it/livestock-husbandry-has-a-multiplier-effect-on-other-business-activities/

⁷What dairy farmers do for the place they live and work in.

https://www.ozolea.it/what-dairy-farmers-do-for-the-place-they-live-and-work-in/

⁸Are we ready enough for the agricultural transition?

https://www.ozolea.it/are-we-ready-enough-for-the-agricultural-transition/

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Save your milk, don’t waste it: the world must be nourished

Marketing 28 May 2021 News

At global level, approximately one in nine people suffer from hunger. This trend is sharper in developing countries, where roughly 13% of the population is undernourished.

In a world producing enough food to feed all of us, there are still too many people struggling to give their children something nutritious to eat. 690 million people go to sleep on an empty stomach at the end of each day¹.

In 2019¹, acute food insecurity affected 135 million people in 55 countries. Today, one in three people suffer from diverse forms of malnutrition.

Covid-19 posed an additional threat to food security. Moreover, if we do not take actions to reverse the current trends, figures for hungry people will reach 840 million by 2030.

All this is linked to food loss and food waste. Every year, about one third of food we produce is lost during production (particularly in developing countries) or wasted on the plate (especially in developed countries). This means for the global economy nearly US $ 1 trillion lost annually¹.

Foods of animal origin provide readily digestible protein and essential nutrients. Moreover, they can critically contribute to end hunger while improving food security and nutrition.

Livestock products are also fundamental in children’s diet as they provide several micronutrients involved in physical and cognitive development².

In developed countries and a growing number of developing nations, adverse health effects (overweight, obesity, chronic diseases, etc.) associated with overconsumption of processed meat are highlighted.

There has to be a middle ground at this point.

The whole livestock sector can play a key role in the process towards ending hunger, specifically by contributing at different levels and from several perspectives.

The livestock sector can be a driving force for rural communities by creating employment opportunities both in primary production and processing. It can generate income, fiscal revenue, and allow to earn foreign exchange. Moreover, livestock production can provide enough healthy and nutritious foods for everyone.

The livestock sector is also aware of the challenges it is facing, which will be pushed by an increasing demand for nutritious, abundant and healthy foods.

Intensive production cannot be left apart, since it will be needed as the population grows. Certainly, it has to change. And, undoubtedly, the livestock sector should find new ways to talk to consumers, trying to fill the gap between the idea that consumers have about intensive production and what the sector really means when discussing intensive farms.

Scientific evidences support the importance of milk and dairy products as part of a healthy and balanced diet. They are nutritious, dense foods, suitable to nourish the world.

Can the dairy sector tackle malnutrition and ensure food security? Yes, and it can also do it through a sustainable and circular approach, benefiting agricultural and non-agricultural sectors revolving around livestock production.

We have already gone deeper into these aspects. The link between OZOLEA’s Friday posts relies in one word: efficiency⁴.

When thinking about a suitable tool for milk production, OZOLEA also took into consideration the fact that milk waste is a major challenge for dairy farmers. In a global context, it is a waste of resources, energies and nutritious and healthy food sources for people all around the globe.

This is another goal of OZOLEA’s SSafeMILK project, helping dairy farmers tackle hunger by avoiding milk waste. Its no-withdrawal solutions are also tools designed to improve animal productivity for the indirect tissue regenerating effect, with respect to animal welfare.

¹ United Nations World Food Programme, 2021.

https://www.wfp.org/zero-hunger

² Transforming the livestock sector through the Sustainable Development Goals.

http://www.fao.org/3/CA1201EN/ca1201en.pdf

³Livestock husbandry has a multiplier effect on other business activities.

https://www.ozolea.it/livestock-husbandry-has-a-multiplier-effect-on-other-business-activities/

⁴ Making money by saving milk.

https://www.ozolea.it/making-money-by-saving-milk/

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Prevention and control in livestock productions mean more food safety, more food security and good health

Marketing 21 May 2021 News

Zoonoses poses risks for both human and animal health. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) further increases these risks; for this reason, a coordinated approach is necessary. Unfortunately, food-borne diseases pose a higher risk in developing countries.

As we already discussed, for a global action against AMR, no one must be left behind¹. Yet, the fact that developing countries still have no suitable infrastructure, economic and social support for rural and livestock development makes things worse.

Household hygiene conditions are a challenge for poor populations². Moreover, their access to clean water and sanitation facilities is compromised. These critical issues create the best environment for microorganisms to proliferate and spread. Therefore, AMR and zoonotic diseases are not problems related solely to the way animal are farmed.

The challenge is bigger than we think.

The livestock sector is facing requests to continue ensuring food safety and security, while reducing environmental impacts.

Pressures for improved animal welfare is further arising, and our sector still has difficulties in raising consumers’ awareness about how we have actually improved.

The dairy sector is conscious of all these aspects, and countries are taking steps towards solutions to tackle the development of new zoonoses and to reverse the pattern of AMR³. And, of course, to improve animal welfare.

At global livestock level, what could we do? Prevention is the best way to tackle AMR. Relying on the intensive use of antimicrobials is no longer possible, since this is the primary cause of AMR.

The way is rational, prudent and only when strictly necessary use of antimicrobials. The market for inputs for the livestock sector is working to provide alternative solutions. OZOLEA is proudly one of them.

However, it is worth stressing that the fight against AMR involves also human medicine. On this ground, humans, too, when treating diseases, should be sure that antibiotics are necessary and the preventive use of such products is not the correct way to act. Sadly, scientific literature is showing how Covid-9 may worsen the development of AMR.

For human health and well-being, the livestock sector is vital for providing nutritious and healthy foods.

Meat and meat products, dairy products, eggs and other foods of animal origin are a valuable source of high-biological-value proteins, fat and other functional compounds, including vitamins and minerals. All these nutrients have, in different ways, roles in ensuring humans’ balanced growth at cognitive and physical level.

A healthy and balanced diet is undeniably essential to human lives.

In this context, proper management in livestock production becomes essential to continue ensuring food security for a growing population. Attention to biosecurity, prevention, control and use of right tools to fight AMR can guarantee food safety from primary production.

However, considering how human health, animal health, nutrition and environment are strictly interconnected, the problem of AMR cannot be ascribed only to livestock farming. For these reasons, a One-Health⁴ approach is the way to consider and face this big challenge.

OZOLEA’s SSafeMILK project was developed for an action against AMR. By applying tools and protocols designed by OZOLEA, which are sustainable, effective and affordable for any farmer, the SSafeMILK project is intended to tackle the global emergency of AMR and aggressively reduce the use of antibiotics in farming animals.

¹ AMR: for a global action, no one must be left behind

https://www.ozolea.it/amr-for-a-global-action-no-one-must-be-left-behind/

² Transforming the livestock sector through the Sustainable Development Goals

http://www.fao.org/3/CA1201EN/ca1201en.pdf

³ Reg. (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicines applicable from 28 January 2022: are we ready?https://www.ozolea.it/reg-eu-20196-on-veterinary-medicines-applicable-from-28-january-2022-are-we-ready/

⁴The One Health approach against antimicrobial resistance

https://www.ozolea.it/the-one-health-approach-against-antimicrobial-resistance/

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Livestock husbandry has a multiplier effect on other business activities

Marketing 14 May 2021 News

With a growing population, reaching 9.7 billion people in 2050 (UN’s estimations), food security is a priority, and livestock husbandry matters.

Expansion of meat and dairy sector is expected, as the demand for such foods is increasing. In this context, and to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we need an “integral approach towards more sustainable, sustained and inclusive economic growth” (UN 2016. Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. New York. A/RES/70/1.).

Food security is not the only reason why the livestock sector should not be left behind.

As depicted by the FAO¹, livestock production employs at least 1.3 billion people worldwide and, in developing countries, provides livelihoods for 600 million poor smallholder farmers (Thornton et al., 2006).

It is a sector with multiple linkages with other industries: business services of all kinds, markets for different inputs (vehicles, agrochemicals, fertilizers, animal health products, etc.), food processing, and many more.

Its vigorous growth means a lot for many social and economic aspects, representing the major opportunity for developing countries to trace the path towards economic development.

In particular, FAO¹ reports that the growth of the livestock sector has the ability to generate “complex vertical and horizontal multiplier effects” that go far beyond agriculture. Moreover, the non-agricultural sector tends to react more elastically to variations happening in livestock husbandry.

Here some numbers from the FAO’s document¹: in lower middle-income economies, a 1% increase livestock production tends to extend the non-agricultural sector by 0.76%, while the agricultural sector does it by 0.64%.

These elasticities also show differences depending on the economic development of countries.

It is essential to create long-term, steady and sustainable livestock economic growth models that stress the importance of labor productivity, focusing on valuable and labor-intensive activities and working conditions.

How far are we from the needs to be met to tackle AMR that we highlighted last week²? Actually, not that far. It also has to do with current increased feed prices and volatile milk prices that to not follow the same path as feed prices.

Particularly in EU developing countries, such as Romania, first decision made by farmers is cutting input costs. And this is happening also for essential inputs.

Along with the growing population prospects, the development of the livestock sector is also the first and great opportunity for employment in developing countries. However, the capacity of creating remunerative and steady jobs is and will remain one of the major challenges to tackle poverty.

Unfortunately, there is still heterogeneity and segmentation not only among countries, but also within the sector itself, especially in terms of distribution of value among players.

Therefore, at dairy supply chain level, a long-term vision will be beneficial not only for dairy farmers (better working conditions and increased profit), but, considering its multiplier effects, also for other players along the chain and all non-agricultural sectors revolving around it.

OZOLEA’s SSafeMILK project intend to support the display of a circular and inclusive milk chain approach, reducing disparities within the milk chain and focusing on shared objectives, shared responsibilities and thus more valuable shared results.

¹ Transforming the livestock sector through the Sustainable Development Goals

http://www.fao.org/3/CA1201EN/ca1201en.pdf

² AMR: for a global action, no one must be left behind

https://www.ozolea.it/amr-for-a-global-action-no-one-must-be-left-behind/

³ We need cohesion and sharing results to make consumers understand the importance of paying the fair price for milk

https://www.ozolea.it/we-need-cohesion-and-sharing-results-to-make-consumers-understand-the-importance-of-paying-the-fair-price-for-milk/

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AMR: for a global action, no one must be left behind

Marketing 7 May 2021 News

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has already crossed borders and has an international dimension.

It is a big issue concerning human and animal health, the environment and food safety. Thus, it involves livestock husbandry without exceptions.

To tackle AMR the team must be global for a coordinated and effective action. Unfortunately, inequalities among countries are substantial, making acting globally difficult.

Protecting the efficacy of antimicrobials and other products needed to treat infections in humans involves the implementation of good practices intended for prevention and control. This should happen in livestock husbandry all over the world.

Where the farmer’s income, the access to services, infrastructures, knowledge and innovation, the availability of skilled workers and professionals, tailored policies and the fabric of society allow certain opportunities, disease management and prudent use of antibiotics are facilitated.

People living in poverty are generally more susceptible to infections and at higher risk of disease caused by resistant bacteria. As a matter of fact, these people do not have economic means for more expensive medications. Thus, self-medication with antibiotics is quite common in regions with under developed infrastructures.

Same issue occurs in livestock husbandry: deliberately treating animals by using antibiotics imprudently exacerbates these risks.

There is a growing world population estimated to reach 9.7 billion people in 2050¹. Along with it, there will be an increasing demand for safe and abundant food. AMR is a threat for food safety and human health, since foods of animal origin are vehicles for bacteria to spread among species.

We cannot afford to put food safety, food security, human and animal health, and the environment at risk.

What could the livestock sector in developed countries do for developing regions? Crossing borders, both physically and mentally, will benefit developed countries in the first place.

Livestock husbandry is a sector that needs a reduction of inequalities, aiming at putting countries in equitable economic, cultural, social and structural conditions.

It is a matter of boosting the livestock sector globally. Specifically, it calls for: supporting policies and investments specific to livestock husbandry; improving infrastructures; implementing inclusive rural development policies; facilitating access to services; framing proper social protection programmes; disseminating knowledge about strategies that have been already tailored and implemented against AMR in developed countries.

OZOLEA’s SSafeMILK project intends to be part of this combination of actions by making the OZOLEA approach to AMR available to all developing countries.

“Resistant bacteria do not need a passport to cross borders” (Rome, 2019, OZOLEA institutional meetings at the Pakistan Embassy), and nor should we to protect human and animal health.

¹What do dairy farmers do for the place they live and work in, while the population is growing? OZOLEA discussed this topic some weeks ago.

https://www.ozolea.it/what-dairy-farmers-do-for-the-place-they-live-and-work-in/

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Are we ready enough for the agricultural transition?

Marketing 16 April 2021 News

Current and continuous pressure on the intensive livestock farming systems is really challenging the dairy sector.

Public opinion is unfortunately in part shaped by outsiders that do not really know difficulties in primary production, along the dairy supply chain and among operators. But they also seem to not see our improvements.

We would really appreciate a different approach to the issue: a one-to-one dialogue with us would rather be useful than pointing the finger at livestock farming. We have a lot to say about the matter.

We are aware that an agricultural transition to sustainability is now, more than ever, needed for the future. The main aim would be the protection of animal and human health and the environment, as well.

We also have to cope with an increasing population and a society that is also changing its life-style.

Any type of farm production system we choose to conduct, we have to be consistent with the specific decision and know that economic, social and environmental sustainability requires profound conviction.

Production systems such as conservation agriculture, high nature value (HNV) farming, agroecology and organic farming are recognized as generally more sustainable than intensive farming.

Among these systems, organic farming is the most regulated and applied. A large-scale transition to organic farming would mean reduction of total consumption of inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers and antibiotics, thus with beneficial effects on the environment.

However, it would also reduce total crop and livestock production, since it relies on lower production densities and output.

With current food consumption patterns, the impact would also be on food prices and the need to farm marginal land or import food, especially for the European Union.

This is not something that can meet the food demand of a growing population.

Sustainability and consumer demands have to face farmer’s income, societal and life-style considerations and overall market forces. From the dairy supply chain point of view, this means that all the operators have to share and endeavor to join forces in achieving goals that are clearly common to any of them.

From a better distribution of added value, any of them will benefit.

In this context and as we said many times, our goal as dairy farmers should be efficiency in farm management. And, with a fast, growing population, we have to produce more and more food.

Innovation has provided dairy farmers with strategies and tools for the implementation of precision farming. This is a production system that aims to optimize agricultural output by using less inputs (labor, antibiotics, agrochemicals, natural resources, etc.) and more rationally.

Despite its potential to contribute to the sustainability of the dairy sector, precision livestock farming is not affordable for all dairy farmers, especially for those who run a small business. It requires major investments on dairy farms since it means including high technology in the farm routine (let’s think of automatic milking systems).

Therefore, two main considerations emerge from this discussion.

First, sustainability in dairy farming production clearly asks for the adoption of a wide range of more efficient practices.

Thus, the solution to the environmental issue has to be well balanced between intensive farming systems and less intensive production models, considering the current context.

Second, there should be more accessibility to innovative tools and knowledge for all dairy farmers.

It is for these reasons that OZOLEA has deliberately chosen to meet both conventional dairy production and organic dairy farming with tools that are innocuous, effective, sustainable, safe and affordable for every dairy farmer.

By combining the use of these products with the implementation of the SSafeMILK protocols, OZOLEA aims to enhance best practices dissemination and scientific research, helping dairy farmers to shape the path towards a more sustainable dairy production and increase their profit.

Some issues of this article can be investigated in this report by the European Environment Agency (2021).

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What dairy farmers do for the place they live and work in

Marketing 9 April 2021 News

Being dairy farmers requires multi-disciplinary skills, and sometimes we would need to be relieved a little from some issues and responsibilities. However, our presence in specific areas of the world is fundamental both from an economic and social perspective.

In general, the backbone of the economy in rural areas is agriculture. The communities, the infrastructure, the employment and people living there are mainly concentrated on agriculture and food production, contributing to make rural villages and towns a worthy place to live.

Dairy production is a consolidated asset in rural areas since it supports livelihoods by providing regular source of products of animal origin that can be both food for local people and a market opportunity.

In particular, dairy farmers are the stewards of land and soil. Last week, we made the point on the impact of a good herd and farm management on land and soil (read “The circular nature of dairy farming”). This is worthwhile in particular for marginal rural areas, where dairy farming contributes to the reduction of the risk of hydrogeological instability.

Occupying marginal areas and continuing some of the traditions of dairy production help the society reduce the continuous depopulation of these regions, bringing back work and employment, while reducing gender inequalities.

Furthermore, it is important for many farms to be family-owned. Family farms help make the countryside a more inclusive place to live and encourage young men and women to get involved in rural activities, bringing innovation, development and strengthening the socio-economic network.

In the European Union, the depopulation of rural areas is an extremely important phenomenon: agriculture today is different from the one of decades ago. In the past, small farms were widely spread across the territory. With urbanization, rural realities have drastically reduced, but at the same time they have experienced a notable technological and productive evolution. This evolution is a step towards future demographic development.

Estimates show a global population growth of up to almost 9.7 billion by 2050. 70% of the population will be concentrated in urban areas and 30% in rural areas. This percentage will have to deal with agricultural production, and will have to do it with increasing efficiency.

Dairy farming can be both intensive and extensive, and both of them have their role in the social development. Intensive farming should not be seen negatively.

Intensive milk production is an approach designed to maximize outputs with reduced use of resources. Innovation has made it possible to improve animal welfare and health level, as well as the protection of the environment. Focusing on efficiency and sustainability, it is possible to understand the positive sides of intensive production.

Only the European Union milk production is estimated around 155 million tons per year. Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain are the main producers – almost 70% of the EU production. Thus, it is a substantial, pervasive and heterogeneous economic sector.

The EU dairy herd (around 21 million cows in 2018) has been decreasing recently along with an increase of the milk yield per cow (7000 kg in 2018). This is a clear sign of efficiency.

In addition to its importance for land management, employment and food production, dairy farming is a hub of innovation, involving different fields of research – from life sciences to engineering. In particular, intensive production systematically allows a resource and technology transfer even where there are no adequate economic and structural possibilities, concretely supporting sustainable innovation in developing countries.

Now that we are facing new challenges – from the environmental issue to the price issue, we should be able to protect our role as guardians of the environment and in feeding the world.

These roles require the ability of creating, sharing and implementing our knowledge and new technologies, but also new ways to organize the supply chain and cooperate.

The final goal of cooperation must be economic, environmental and social sustainability. And this is also the objective of OZOLEA’s SSafeMILK project.

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The circular nature of dairy farming

Marketing 2 April 2021 News

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.

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Preventing and/or controlling subclinical mastitis is good for everyone, including the atmosphere

Marketing 26 March 2021 News

In some of the articles published recently in OZOLEA’s website, we discussed the importance of controlling mastitis aiming at improving animal health, dairy production and, therefore, profit. In other words, we should focus on efficiency, which means an optimized use of inputs per specific quantity of output – milk.

Here the articles OZOLEA published: “What changes in milk tell us when we forestrip” and “Making money by saving milk”.

Striving to achieve all these goals also have positive and beneficial effects on the environment.

Thus, let’s discuss again about sustainability without mentioning this word throughout the post. We will make a simple overview of a scientific study¹ conducted in Norway (Özkan Gülzari et al., 2018).

Poor animal health and welfare conditions leading to clinical and subclinical mastitis may compromise production efficiency. This occurs as the result of increased mortality, reduced milk yield, reduced reproductive performance, and increased animal replacement rates.

Being mastitis one of the hardest issues to treat in dairy cows, it has been recognized as an impediment to perform an efficient and feasible livestock production.

Mastitis means milk losses due to reduction in milk yield, discharge of milk due to withdrawal periods and more dairy cows lost and replaced. Moreover, if the disease is in the form of subclinical mastitis it is hard to detect visually at udder and milk level.

The researchers focused on subclinical mastitis in Norwegian dairy farms. It is more difficult to detect visually subclinical mastitis than clinical mastitis. Therefore, there is more room for prevention and control of clinical cases with respect to subclinical cases.

Subclinical cases can be detected by checking the SCC (> 200,000 cells/mL) and deciding for milk culturing.

The results reported by Özkan Gülzari et al. (2018) were in terms of impacts of five different SCC levels on milk yield, feed intake, culling rate and net margin (expected net present value ENPV) and emission intensity.

Milk yield decreased as the level of SCC increased in all the scenarios, reflecting the impact of disease on production, as reported in table on the left.

Reduction in total feed intake occurred as SCC increased. It resulted lower in primiparous cows (1.4-2.8%) than in multiparous cows (3.3.-6.6%).

For culling rates, in the range from 400.000 to 800.000 cells/ml, there was an increase as the SCC augmented (30.9-43.7%), with an impact on average longevity of the herd.

The highest net margin (ENPV) was observed at 200,000 cells/ml. This parameter was mainly driven by milk yield and milk and feed market prices.

Impaired animal health also means increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced per unit of milk. The findings for emission intensities were 1.01 kg and 0.95 kg CO2/kg for fat and protein corrected milk in primiparous and multiparous cows with the lowest SCC (50,000 cells/ml), respectively.

Keeping subclinical mastitis at bay, as it can be for other diseases, can be perceived as a strategy useful both to improved inputs exploitation and a strategy to reduce the GHG emissions intensity from dairy farming.

This was the perspective from Norwegian dairy farms. Performances for any parameter here described would probably give different values depending on the European area assessed.

However, these findings can give use a brighter idea about udder issues: doing our best in preventing and controlling diseases at dairy farm level will pay off.

And this is completely sustainable.

¹Şeyda Özkan Gülzari, Bouda Vosough Ahmadi, Alistair W. Stott. Impact of subclinical mastitis on greenhouse gas emissions intensity and profitability of dairy cows in Norway. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 150 (2018) doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.11.021