Sustainability
Highlights NEW!
What is Sustainability?
One of the first and most-often cited definitions of sustainability was created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The Commission said sustainable development "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Further insight into the concept of sustainability can be gleaned from the Daly Rules, listed below.
What are the Daly Rules?
Herman E. Daly, University of Maryland professor and former chief economist for the World Bank, suggests the following three operational rules for defining the condition of ecological (thermodynamic) sustainability:
- Renewable resources, such as fish, soil and groundwater, must be used no faster than the rate at which they regenerate.
- Non-renewable resources, such as minerals and fossil fuels, must be used no faster than renewable substitutes for them can be put into place.
- Pollution and wastes must be emitted no faster than natural systems can absorb them, recycle them or render them harmless.
What does this mean for the dairy industry?
If the current domestic and global buzz is any indication, consumers and retailers will escalate their requests and/or demands for products derived through sustainable practices. For some companies, this is likely to be a marketing opportunity for policies and practices that originated some time ago; for others, it may be a true challenge, but it is an emerging issue for all that will require attention. Over time, IDFA hopes that the dairy industry will get credit for all the sustainable practices it adopted long before the concept was called "sustainability," and will continue to learn new things and improve industry efficiencies for the benefit of all citizens, now and in the future.
Dairy Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Life cycle analysis (LCA) is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a specific product or service triggered or necessitated by its existence.
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