{"id":7116,"date":"2023-06-26T10:32:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T07:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/?p=7116"},"modified":"2023-06-26T10:32:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T07:32:06","slug":"how-chinas-dairy-industry-is-addressing-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/how-chinas-dairy-industry-is-addressing-climate-change","title":{"rendered":"How China\u2019s dairy industry is addressing climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>Global food emissions are a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, with meat and dairy being the largest contributor within farming.<\/li>\n<li>If worldwide emissions remain high, the dairy and meat industries are forecast to lose\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanplh\/article\/PIIS2542-5196(22)00002-X\/fulltext\">$39.94<\/a>\u00a0billion annually by the end of this century.<\/li>\n<li>To transition food systems to be more nutritious, affordable and environmentally sustainable, farmers must be supported.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When it comes to climate action, attention tends to be focused on renewables and low carbon transport, often neglecting the impact that agricultural commodities, such as dairy, have on global warming.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, global food systems are a major driver of <a title=\"Trends and projections: limited rebound in EU emissions amid post-pandemic recovery and energy crisis\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/trends-and-projections-limited-rebound-in-eu-emissions-amid-post-pandemic-recovery-and-energy-crisis\">emissions<\/a>. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u2019s (IPCC)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/assessment-report\/ar6\/\">Sixth Assessment Report\u00a0<\/a>finds that the agriculture, forestry and other land use sector on average, accounted for 13-21% of global total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the period 2010-2019.<\/p>\n<p>Within the <a title=\"Recovery of Agriculture and Food Systems\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/recovery-of-agriculture-and-food-systems\">food system<\/a>, the meat and dairy industry is accountable for the largest amount of emissions. At the same time, <a title=\"Selling war amid climate change\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/selling-war-amid-climate-change\">climatic changes<\/a> are also creating significant impact on the dairy industry.<\/p>\n<p>Discover<\/p>\n<p>What is AMNC, the World Economic Forum\u2019s meeting in <a title=\"China releases renewed citizens\u2019 10 dos and don\u2019ts for environment protection, underlining knowledge on biodiversity, climate change\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/china-releases-renewed-citizens-10-dos-and-donts-for-environment-protection-underlining-knowledge-on-biodiversity-climate-change\">China<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>The World Economic Forum\u2019s Annual Meeting of the New Champions focuses on leadership, <a title=\"Calling for innovative ocean-minded startups\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/calling-for-innovative-ocean-minded-startups\">innovation<\/a> and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n<p>More than 2,000 participants, including leading experts in <a title=\"Employment Vacancies at Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/employment-vacancies-at-mbeya-university-of-science-and-technology-must\">science and technology<\/a>, attend the meeting in Dalian, People\u2019s Republic of China. They will take part in over 100 working sessions.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting pools ideas and galvanizes progress towards a building a future where entrepreneurship serves everyone in society. The key focus areas are: Fostering Agile Industry Leadership, Achieving Technology Leadership, <a title=\"Uganda Encourages Bamboo Farming to Combat Deforestation &amp; Promote Sustainability\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/uganda-encourages-bamboo-farming-to-combat-deforestation-promote-sustainability\">Sustaining Economic Leadership and Promoting<\/a> Responsible Leadership.<\/p>\n<p>Find out more about AMNC on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/toplink.weforum.org\/events\/a0P0X00000NIrvFUAT\/annual-meeting-of-the-new-champions\/programme\">TopLink\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/contact-us\/memberships-and-partnerships?name=AMNC19\">contact us<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about who can attend.<\/p>\n<p>Heat stress reduces milk yield, fluctuations in temperatures impede crop growth, and disrupted hydrological cycles result in <a title=\"Water, Climate, and Biodiversity\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/water-climate-and-biodiversity\">water<\/a> shortages for productive farms.\u00a0If global GHG emissions remain high, the dairy and meat industries will lose\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanplh\/article\/PIIS2542-5196(22)00002-X\/fulltext\">$39.94<\/a>\u00a0billion annually by the end of this century.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond these financial losses, there will be broader socioeconomic implications for <a title=\"Community rights and REDD+ in Indonesia\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/community-rights-and-redd-in-indonesia\">communities<\/a> and society at large.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses within the dairy industry are increasingly cognisant of the implications and are assuming leadership in transforming the sector to be more sustainable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From farm to table<br \/>\n<\/strong>Milk has long been one of the most important sources of nutrition for human beings, with a high protein efficiency of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/grapher\/protein-efficiency-of-meat-and-dairy-production\">24%<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 compared with 8.5% of pork. The demand for dairy products is expected to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0924224421005252?ref=pdf_download&amp;fr=RR-2&amp;rr=7d2ddbf8eb3c20f0\">double<\/a>\u00a0by 2050 compared to 2000, due to changes in diets, population and income growth, especially among developing countries.<\/p>\n<p>Increased production of milk and other dairy products is creating rising emissions from the industry. This occurs over the full life cycle, from <a title=\"Forest Farm Producers in Nepal discussed to up-scale the best climate change adaptation practices\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/forest-farm-producers-in-nepal-discussed-to-up-scale-the-best-climate-change-adaptation-practices\">producing the resources used on the farm<\/a>, through processing and distribution to consumer consumption and waste handling.<\/p>\n<p>This includes land cleared to make way for cattle, to the enteric fermentation, manure handling and <a title=\"PhD position (m\/f\/d) Nutrient cycling and carbon storage in grazed systems\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/phd-position-m-f-d-nutrient-cycling-and-carbon-storage-in-grazed-systems\">storage during the growth cycles<\/a>, and the product packaging and retail in supermarkets.<\/p>\n<p>Other agricultural commodities, such as soy and palm oil are also heavily used in this industry. Notably, as a great fat supplement, palm oil is introduced into dairy products such as milk powder and ice cream, as well as into animal feed to provide <a title=\"Energy Globe Award for Sustainability \u2014 Awards 2023\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/uncategorized\/energy-globe-award-for-sustainability-awards-2023\">energy<\/a> and enable milk to maintain its fat content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>China\u2019s dairy industry<br \/>\n<\/strong>China is the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oec.world\/en\/profile\/bilateral-product\/milk\/reporter\/chn?redirect=true#:~:text=Imports%20In%202021%2C%20China%20imported,of%20Milk%20in%20the%20world.\">leading global importer<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and the fourth largest producer \u2013 of dairy products. Retail sales of dairy in 2021 totalled $62 billion, making it the second <a title=\"Extreme wildfires are turning the world\u2019s largest forest ecosystem from carbon sink into net-emitter\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/extreme-wildfires-are-turning-the-worlds-largest-forest-ecosystem-from-carbon-sink-into-net-emitter\">largest dairy market in the world<\/a> after the US.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/players\/2a3LD8jN-ncRE1zO6.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/players\/2a3LD8jN-ncRE1zO6.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Given the scale and size of the sector, China\u2019s commitment to reduce the environmental footprint of its agricultural commodities, together with net zero strategies from leading Chinese food companies, will bring meaningful and positive impact at global scale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sustainable transition across dairy supply chain<br \/>\n<\/strong>China Mengniu Dairy Company Ltd recently became the country\u2019s first dairy company to commit to a fully deforestation-free supply chain by 2030. This commitment is wide-ranging in scope, covering the company\u2019s factories and ranches, ensuring that cattle are fed using products from deforestation-free supply chains and that services and materials are procured from companies that do not contribute to <a title=\"How forest loss has changed biodiversity across the globe over the last 150 years\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/how-forest-loss-has-changed-biodiversity-across-the-globe-over-the-last-150-years\">forest loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This is a huge step forward for <a title=\"FBA 605: Productivity, Improvement and Sustainability in Agroforestry Systems\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/study\/fba-605-productivity-improvement-and-sustainability-in-agroforestry-systems\">sustainable dairy production<\/a>, given that the company is the largest dairy producer in China \u2013 the seventh largest in the world \u2013 supplying more than 95% of urban households in China. It joins other Chinese food giants in making the deforestation-free pledge, including COFCO International.<\/p>\n<p>As an industry leader, Mengniu\u2019s deforestation-free commitment will catalyse and drive large-scale <a title=\"Global Transformation of Forest for People and Climate: A Focus on West Africa\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/global-transformation-of-forest-for-people-and-climate-a-focus-on-west-africa\">transformation across global<\/a> agri-commodity supply chains over the next seven years. Under the pledge, all its suppliers, including suppliers in the palm oil and soybean sectors, will need to ensure that their products are traceable and certified to be deforestation-free.<\/p>\n<p>To illustrate, China is the world\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/economy\/china-economy\/article\/3206301\/chinas-soybean-imports-have-peaked-and-will-keep-falling-beijing-stresses-food-security-report-says\">largest importer of soy<\/a>, where 85% of the soymeal after the oil extraction stage becomes animal feed. With more than 60% of the soybean coming from Brazil, such a commitment will help prevent further <a title=\"Invasive moths, beetles putting local forests at risk\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/invasive-moths-beetles-putting-local-forests-at-risk\">deforestation<\/a> in the critical Amazon biome.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Role of consumers and investors<br \/>\n<\/strong>Consumers also hold significant power in accelerating business transitions to sustainable supply chains. There is growing awareness among Chinese consumers, especially the younger generation, on <a title=\"Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change Program\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/google-for-startups-accelerator-climate-change-program\">climate change<\/a> and sustainable consumption.<\/p>\n<p>According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ey.com\/en_gl\/consumer-products-retail\/five-types-of-consumer-that-you-need-to-understand#2\">EY Future Consumer Index<\/a>\u00a0in 2022, one in four global consumers place \u201cplanet first\u201d as the biggest influential factor in purchasing decisions, ahead of \u201caffordability first\u201d or \u201cexperience first\u201d. Two thirds of Chinese consumers believe that businesses need to bring about positive social impact, double that of the global average.<\/p>\n<p>Companies should consider these shifting consumer <a title=\"IDF Global Marketing Trends Report 2020 now available\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/idf-global-marketing-trends-report-2020-now-available\">trends in their sales and marketing<\/a> strategies. Companies who are prepared to go the extra mile to <a title=\"Climate change mitigation: reducing emissions\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/climate-change-mitigation-reducing-emissions\">reduce their emissions<\/a>, stop deforestation and support more climate-friendly consumption will be able to strengthen their competitive advantage and improve consumer relationships in the longer run.<\/p>\n<p>Existing and potential investors are also increasingly interested in financing <a title=\"Nature-based solutions\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/nature-based-solutions\">nature-based solutions<\/a> such as sustainable food production and supply chains, as part of fulfilling their own nature and climate commitments.<\/p>\n<p>With the adoption of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unep.org\/resources\/kunming-montreal-global-biodiversity-framework\">Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a>\u00a0during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) by close to 200 countries in December 2022, more companies and investors are taking action to better safeguard biodiversity, protect and restore landscapes.<\/p>\n<p>The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) <a title=\"Recent scientific briefs provide information about the Global Biodiversity Framework goals.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/recent-scientific-briefs-provide-information-about-the-global-biodiversity-framework-goals\">provides a useful framework<\/a> for nature related risk management and disclosure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Putting farmers at the core<br \/>\n<\/strong>While no single business can tackle the environmental crisis on their own, every business has a role to play and responsibility to be part of the solution. Mengniu\u2019s deforestation-free commitment presents a triple win for people, the planet and prosperity. More companies should do the same.<\/p>\n<p>Discover<\/p>\n<p>What is the <a title=\"Celebration of World Food Safety Day \u2013 Theme: Food Safety, Everyone\u2019s business\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/celebration-of-world-food-safety-day-theme-food-safety-everyone-s-business\">World Economic Forum doing to help ensure global food<\/a> security?<\/p>\n<p>Two billion people in the world currently suffer from malnutrition and according to some estimates, we need 60% more food to feed the global population by 2050. Yet the agricultural sector is ill-equipped to meet this demand: 700 million of its workers currently live in poverty, and it is already responsible for 70% of the world\u2019s <a title=\"Area Water and Soil Resources Advisor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/area-water-and-soil-resources-advisor\">water<\/a> consumption and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n<p>New <a title=\"Technical Manager Climate Projects, Sustainable Technologies (ST) \u2013 Africa\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/technical-manager-climate-projects-sustainable-technologies-st-africa\">technologies could help our food systems become more sustainable<\/a> and efficient, but unfortunately the agricultural sector has fallen behind other sectors in terms of technology adoption.<\/p>\n<p>Launched in 2018, the Forum\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/projects\/innovation-with-a-purpose-strengthening-food-systems-through-technology\">Innovation with a Purpose Platform<\/a>\u00a0is a large-scale partnership that facilitates the adoption of new technologies and other innovations to transform the way we produce, distribute and consume our food.<\/p>\n<p>With research, increasing investments in new agriculture technologies and the <a title=\"Calls for enhanced integration of nature-based solutions for climate resilience in Africa\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/calls-for-enhanced-integration-of-nature-based-solutions-for-climate-resilience-in-africa\">integration of local and regional initiatives aimed at enhancing<\/a> food security, the platform is working with over 50 partner institutions and 1,000 leaders around the world to leverage emerging technologies to make our food systems more sustainable, inclusive and efficient.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/wef.ch\/innovation-with-a-purpose\">Learn more<\/a>\u00a0about Innovation with a Purpose\u2019s impact and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/contact-us\/memberships-and-partnerships?name=innovation-with-purpose\">contact us<\/a>\u00a0to see how you can get involved.<\/p>\n<p>The World Economic Forum\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/organizations\/tropical-forest-alliance-2020\">is bringing together public and private actors from across supply chains<\/a>\u00a0to catalyse and promote action oriented partnerships and solutions to address the world\u2019s food and climate crises, working with companies to translate their ambition and commitments to credible and effective actions.<\/p>\n<p>Farmers lie at the heart of the <a title=\"Yunus Environment Hub \u2014 Sustainable Food Systems in East Africa\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/yunus-environment-hub-sustainable-food-systems-in-east-africa\">food systems<\/a> transformation. To transition <a title=\"Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/seeding-the-future-global-food-system-challenge\">food systems<\/a> to be more nutritious, more affordable and more environmentally sustainable, it is essential to provide support to the farmers, especially smallholder farmers, promote active collaboration across supply chains, and help farms harness the power of technological innovations. These are pre-requisite for success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Global food emissions are a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, with meat and dairy being the largest contributor within farming. If worldwide emissions remain high, the dairy and meat industries are forecast to lose\u00a0$39.94\u00a0billion annually by the end of this century. To transition food systems to be more nutritious, affordable and environmentally sustainable, farmers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7116"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7122,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7116\/revisions\/7122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}