Measurement Resources

Measuring the impacts for any food is difficult; for dairy products, it is particularly complex. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and sustainability project teams are developing resources to provide dairy farms and businesses with science-based tools to help them make smart business decisions that balance economic, environmental and social factors.

Farm Smart

Overview: The Farm Smart Web resource, which is in development as part of the Farm Smart sustainability project, aims to help dairy producers evaluate their production techniques, identify potential improvements in management practices and communicate positive contributions their farm businesses have made to neighbors, community groups, consumers and customers. It is being developed with funding from the Walton Family Foundation and the USDA.

Dairy Plant Smart

Overview: The Dairy Plant Smart Web resource, which is in development as part of the Dairy Plant Smart sustainability project, is being developed to help dairy processors and manufacturers measure and improve their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with energy, fuel, refrigerant and packaging.

The Dairy Plant Smart tool will provide an average of GHG emissions data for plants in the same region, as well as a national average to serve as a benchmark.

Dairy Fleet Smart

Overview: The Dairy Fleet Smart Web resource, which is in development as part of the Dairy Fleet Smart sustainability project, is being designed to help transportation companies determine environmental reduction goals that align with business strategies. The tool leverages data from the GHG Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Fluid Milk to serve as an industry benchmark and then provides users with recommended GHG reduction targets and best practices.

Users first input their fuel usage data based on miles and amount of weight transported. The tool compares the data to the industry benchmark and then calculates the amount of emissions the user could reduce as a personal goal by 2020. Once the goal is calculated, the tool offers users best management practices to reduce emissions through three tactics: behavioral changes, technology replacements or upgrades, and fuel replacement.

Current Status: The Dairy Fleet Smart project team recently unveiled the beta version of a modeling tool. Pilot testing of the tool is under way with Ruan Transportation, Des Moines, Iowa.

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