Is it acceptable that dairy cow effluent affects the quality of our waterways?
No, it’s not. Dairy farmers are listening to the public and are working closely with regional councils, NIWA and groups like Landcare, the QEII Trust and Fish and Game to get this right.
In 2002 the dairy industry made an ambitious commitment to improve dairy farms’ environmental performance with the Clean Streams Accord. Thousands of kilometres of waterways have been fenced. Hundreds of new bridges and culverts have been built to stop cows walking through water on their way to the dairy and streams are being planted with natives to improve biodiversity and stream health. It is a sign of how far we have come in such a short space of time that we’re already setting the bar higher.
We are living in a world where we can’t afford to waste resources. Farmers are large users of fertiliser, power and water - is it going to waste?
Dairy farmers are coming up with innovative ways to use their resources more efficiently so they can be more sustainable.
In the past the application of fertiliser and nutrient rich effluent and water wasn’t efficient. Farms now have systems which manage their nutrient inputs and outputs thanks to technology. Thanks to technology even the way pasture is irrigated has changed. Practices and technology like these are saving costs, reducing waste and they’re kinder on the environment.
Climate change affects us all. What are dairy farmers doing to reduce their impact on the environment?
Climate change increases the chances of drought, floods and the threat of tropical pests and diseases, which are a real threat to dairy. That’s why the dairy industry, through groups like Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research, has invested over $19 million in the past six years on research.
In taking on these challenges dairy farmers have learned that to be successful you must always be looking for new ways to lower your environmental footprint.
The industry now embraces a culture of constant improvement so that dairy farmers can be sure that they are doing enough to meet what are complex challenges for any industry.
Most importantly, farmers are making sure all these challenges are being addressed with the right people, people who think innovatively, are passionate about making a genuine difference.
