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Animal welfare in the farms and reduction of environmental impact

The goal

Raise certification standards

Animal welfare on the farm and reduction of environmental impact is the daily commitment of the farmers in the Italian Granarolo-Granlatte supply chain. We guarantee the health and respect of animals and have decided to raise the standards of animal welfare certification. At the same time we work in the fields and stables to reduce the CO2 generated. From this commitment, two main sub-objectives arise:

To further improve animal welfare in the already certified Granarolo-Granlatte dairy farms, reducing the environmental impact of the farms.

2023 Actions

Our commitment

To the qualitative and animal welfare indicators, which have been measured for years and are the subject of a continuous improvement project reported annually, will be added actions geared toward reducing the environmental impact generated by the barn. In particular, working on dairy cattle feeding, animal welfare and drug reduction, Agriculture 4.0, management of energy and water sources on the farm, and the circular economy of animal husbandry, leveraging a systems approach.

Institutions involved

Farmers
Veterinarians

Our actions

• In addition to the qualitative and animal welfare indicators, which have been measured for many years and are subject to certification (180 indicators) and a continuous improvement project reported annually, 2022 saw the introduction of the evaluation of all farms using the Classyfarm Ministry Checklist (105 indicators), further actions were put in place aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the livestock farms. Work focused on the feeding of dairy cattle, on animal welfare and a decreased reliance on medicines, on Agriculture 4.0, on the management of the energy and water sources used by the farm and on the circular economy of livestock farming, adopting a systemic approach combining technological innovation and advanced evaluation techniques. The Technical-Scientific Committee comprising three universities, the University of Brescia, the University of Milan and the University of Bologna was able to measure and obtain a representative snapshot of the actual environmental impact of the supply chain measured at 50 livestock farms representative of our supply chain.

• Animal welfare training meetings with farmers have been held (issues examined: feed and herd management) and related audits performed.

• Granlatte started to take part in the Dairy Sustainability Framework activities – an international dialogue platform for dairy companies working together to find sustainable solutions.

• The Granarolo Sustainable Transition was launched and is developed along four main corner pillars:
 
> animal welfare and rational use of cattle medicines;

> animal nutrition – because working on nutrition can lead to a reduced environmental impact;

> reduction of the environmental impact of milk production;

> optimisation of agronomic practices for CO₂ capture.
• The certification of animal welfare at livestock farms called Bonlatte, has been joined by the Classyfarm certification as well. The Manual on Animal Welfare for breeders was completed in 2022 and it was presented and shared during 2023 with the updated guidelines envisaged in the Policy. In 2023 is also started the "Biomethane supply chain" project developed and presented with the Confederation of Beet Growers– CGBI, and shall envisage the construction of 10 consortium facilities in 3 years located in Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Friuli and Puglia. Three of the facilities are already under construction, and two more will start in early 2024. Further details about the project can be found in the next section.

Our projects

• In addition to the qualitative and animal welfare indicators, which have been measured for many years and are subject to certification (180 indicators) and a continuous improvement project reported annually, 2022 saw the introduction of the evaluation of all farms using the Classyfarm Ministry Checklist (105 indicators), further actions were put in place aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the livestock farms. Work focused on the feeding of dairy cattle, on animal welfare and a decreased reliance on medicines, on Agriculture 4.0, on the management of the energy and water sources used by the farm and on the circular economy of livestock farming, adopting a systemic approach combining technological innovation and advanced evaluation techniques. The Technical-Scientific Committee comprising three universities, the University of Brescia, the University of Milan and the University of Bologna was able to measure and obtain a representative snapshot of the actual environmental impact of the supply chain measured at 50 livestock farms representative of our supply chain.

• Animal welfare training meetings with farmers have been held (issues examined: feed and herd management) and related audits performed.

• Granlatte started to take part in the Dairy Sustainability Framework activities – an international dialogue platform for dairy companies working together to find sustainable solutions.

• The Granarolo Sustainable Transition was launched and is developed along four main corner pillars:
 
> animal welfare and rational use of cattle medicines;

> animal nutrition – because working on nutrition can lead to a reduced environmental impact;

> reduction of the environmental impact of milk production;

> optimisation of agronomic practices for CO₂ capture.
The Granarolo Group and the Confederation of Beet Growers (CGBI) announce the launch of "Biomethane from the Supply Chain," a sustainability and circular economy project that will see the establishment of 10 new biomethane plants over a period of 3 years. These plants will be located in Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Friuli, and Puglia, with the aim of obtaining clean energy, reducing milk processing costs, and producing fertilizers.
Out of these 10, construction work on the first 3 new agricultural biomethane plants began on October 16, 2023, in the provinces of Mantua, Brescia, and Cremona.

In summary, there are three significant contributions expected from the production process of these new plants:
  • A significant reduction in energy costs.
  • The production of biomethane, in gaseous or liquefied form, which can be partially or fully used by stakeholders in the supply chain by connecting to the national grid, replacing a significant portion of internal consumption of fossil methane.
  • The production of digestate, a valuable fertilizer that will provide important support to the agricultural sector. Currently, due to the sharp increase in prices, the agricultural sector is forced to purchase fertilizers at enormous costs. The digestate will be distributed on the lands of contributing agricultural companies, replacing chemical fertilizers. It will be strategically placed and valued in organic farming and according to the best agronomic and environmental practices through a centralized collection and distribution activity. For a single medium-sized plant, it is estimated to produce 3,000,000 mc of biogas, with a projected CO₂ equivalent saving of about 6,000 tons and 50,000 tons of digestate.

United under the banner of the circular economy to produce clean energy and fertilizers from agricultural and agro-industrial by-products.

For more information, please visit: https://www.gruppogranarolo.it/media-room/comunicati-stampa/granarolo-e-cgbi-uniti-nel-segno-dell-economia-circolare
 

Positive impacts

Close cooperation with farmers and veterinarians on the one hand and with the Technical-Scientific Committee on the other hand improves animal welfare conditions and reduces the environmental impact of the farm, resulting in an improvement in udder health (less somatic cells) and psycho-physical conditions of the animal, an excellent level of milk quality and a product that respects nature and the health of all consumers.

Projects to protect biodiversity

The Granarolo Group and Conapi - Consorzio Nazionale Apicoltori (National Consortium of Beekeepers) started a joint project that has seen the realisation of a specification of structural actions to promote the health of bees and pollinators on farms in collaboration with the farmers shareholders of the Granlatte cooperative. This is a unique and distinctive project: placing beehives in shareholders’ farms with a view also to protecting nectariferous plants.

Granarolo is also the first company to obtain “Approved By Conapi Bees”, the sustainability standard for bee-friendly companies, the first voluntary environmental protocol drawn up by Conapi together with the inspection and certification agency CCPB.

Find out more

The 6th goal of the 2030 Agenda promoted by the United Nations for people, the planet, and prosperity aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. It specifically refers to drinking water, but access to fresh water involves respecting the land and sea, both in Italy and in developing countries.

The sea is an ally in combating the climate crisis and planetary warming. The Pact with the Sea, promoted by the University of Pollenzo and endorsed by Granarolo, helps us better understand our most important resource—the only natural capital capable of ensuring well-being and sustainability for our present and future lives. The Pact with the Sea is a commitment against water pollution, the culture of waste, and disposal, as the sea can no longer be the Earth's dump. The pact is a dedication to protect its biodiversity because we are part of a single system.

Together, we will strive to raise awareness, protect, and conserve marine biodiversity—a fundamental resource for safeguarding human well-being.

In 2023, Granarolo, along with other strategic partners of the University of Pollenzo, several universities and research institutions, and its ambassador, the multi-champion swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri, signed the Pact with the Sea. They have developed a series of actions aimed at giving concrete value to the commitment made, precisely in what may be the driest year of the last decades.

For more information: Pact with the Sea.
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