Valio launches 5-year pilot to achieve carbon-neutral milk production

FINLAND – Valio, a leading Finnish dairy company, has launched a five-year Carbon-Neutral Dairy Farm pilot project to test practical actions for achieving carbon-neutral milk production.

The initiative involves four dairy farms located in different regions of Finland—North Savo, Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia, and North Ostrobothnia. 

According to the company, the pilot aims to assess the impact of these climate-focused actions on emissions, how they integrate into daily farm operations, and their cost-benefit ratio. 

“The long-term goal is to make the milk produced on these farms carbon-neutral by reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration through various innovative practices,” the company noted.

Meanwhile, Valio has been committed to climate action since 2018, but this pilot will provide comprehensive, practical data on how actions translate into results at the farm level. 

Development Manager Robert Harmoinen highlighted the importance of putting research into practice, stating that the lessons learned will be applied across Valio’s 3,400 dairy farms.

“The pilot will introduce several solutions, including methane-reducing feeding practices, regenerative farming techniques to improve soil carbon sequestration, and biogas production,” he said.

“Carbon flux towers will measure carbon absorption in grasslands, and a biodiversity inventory will inform plans to improve farm ecosystems. Farms will also calculate their carbon footprints to monitor progress.”

One of the participating farms, Luoma Farm in Kauhajoki, has already been using the Carbo® Farm calculator to measure its carbon footprint, which currently stands at 0.76 CO2e/kg ECM—lower than the Valio farm average. 

Farm owner Jaakko Luoma is optimistic that the pilot will further help them reduce this footprint to zero through innovative methods.

Valio’s broader goal is to achieve carbon-neutral milk production by 2035. Harmoinen emphasizes that more than 90% of milk production emissions originate from farms, making farm-level changes crucial. 

The pilot will also explore the commercial potential of carbon-neutral milk, as international food companies are increasingly interested in reducing emissions across the entire production chain.

This follows a recent investment made by the company to modernize its Seinäjoki production plant in a deal of US$77.2M, enhancing its efficiency and capacity.

The investment, scheduled to be rolled out between 2023 and 2026, will involve a range of upgrades designed to strengthen the plant’s role in Valio’s operations and secure its future.

The Seinäjoki plant, one of Valio’s largest in terms of milk processing volume, produces a range of products, including Valio butters, Oivariini® spreads, quarks, cottage cheeses, and specialty milk powders.

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