In 2007 we took a first look at the carbon footprint of the fluid milk value chain by conducting a scan-level analysis of the industry's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

Our estimates from that initial analysis were validated in 2010 with the completion of the Fluid Milk Carbon Footprint Study, conducted by the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas.

The initial estimate was based on existing data from 36 reliable research sources, including:

• Amado (2006), Ortiz (2004), Cigana (2003). U.S. Lifecycle Inventory Database. National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• California Department of Food and Agriculture (2007). Dairy Marketing Branch DMB-SP-108 California Milk Pricing Formulas. 2007
• Dairy Australia. Australian Dairy Manufacturing Industry State of the Environment Report: A Dairy Australia report on behalf of the Dairy Manufacturers Sustainability Council. 2005
• Dairy Facts 2007. International Dairy Foods Association
• Derpsch R. The extent of conservation agriculture adoption worldwide: implications and impact.  www.rolf-derpsch.com. Retrieved November 2007
• Dissinger S. Dairy Management Inc. personal communication. 2007
• Eide M. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of industrial milk production. TINE Norwegian Dairies, Centre for Research and Development. 2002 
• Erba EM, Aplin RD, Stephenson MW. Labor productivities and costs in 35 of the best fluid milk plants in the U.S. Cornell Program on Dairy Markets and Policy Department of Agricultural, Resource and Managerial Economics College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University. 1997
• Euromonitor International, The Market for Packaged Foods in the USA, 2005
• Forster P, Ramaswamy V, Artaxo P, Berntsen T, Betts R, Fahey DW, Haywood J, Lean J, Lowe DC, Myhre G, Nganga J, Prinn R, Raga G, Schulz M and Van Dorland R. Changes in atmospheric constituents and in radiative forcing. In: climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M and Miller HL (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. 2007
• Foster C, Green K, Bleda M, Dewick P, Evans B, Flynn A, Mylan J. Environmental impacts of food production and consumption: a report to the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs. Manchester Business School. Defra, London. 2006
• Helsel ZR. Energy and alternatives for fertilizer and pesticide use. Energy in Farm Production, (Fluck RC ed.), New York: Elsevier. 1992;6:177-201.
• International Dairy Federation. Bulletin of the International Dairy Federation. April 22, 2007 
• Kongshaug G. Fertilizers and climate change. International Fertilizer Industry Association. 2008
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Optimization of product life cycles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California. Prepared for: California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Program. 2005
• Moorby JM, Chadwick DR, Scholefield D, Chambers BJ, Williams JR.  A review of research to identify best practices for reducing greenhouse gases from agriculture and land management. Prepared as part of Defra Project AC0206. 2007
• National Milk Producers Federation Dairy Producer Highlights 2008.
• Robertson G, et al. Greenhouse gases in intensive agriculture: contributions of individual gases to the radiative forcing of the atmosphere. Science 289;1922. 2000
• Short S. USDA Statistical Bulletin Number 974-6: Characteristics and production costs of U.S. dairy operations. 2004
• Stephenson M. Cornell program on dairy markets and policy. www.extension.org. Accessed December 2007
• Riva G. Utilization of renewable energy sources and energy-saving technologies by small-scale milk plants and collection centres. Originated by: Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 1992
• University of Arkansas. Initial dairy processor survey results. 2008
• U.S. Census Bureau. Annual survey of manufacturers. 2006
• USDA. Packaged fluid milk sales in federal milk order markets. 2001
• USDA Economic Research Service. Agricultural resource management survey. 2006
• USDA. Confined animal production and manure nutrients. 2007
• USDA. Dairy products 2007 summary. 2007
• USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. Crop Production 2007 Summary. 2008
• U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Information Administration. Simplified Emissions Inventory Tool (SEIT) Calculation Workbook Version 1.0. 2006
• U.S. Department of Energy. Energy cost calculator for commercial boilers. Accessed May 2008
• U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Lab, Life-Cycle Inventory Database. Retrieved May 2007
• U.S. EPA Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2005. 2005
• U.S. EPA. EPA 420 R 06 003. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. Transportation Sector, 1990-2003. 2006 
• U.S. EPA. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks, Annex 3: Methodological Descriptions for Additional Source or Sink Categories. 2006
• Wightman J. Production and mitigation of greenhouse gases in agriculture. Cornell University, New York. 2005
• Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Farm energy audits.