Milk (with quotas)
Milk is produced in the dairy from milk produced at dairy farms. Milk is in excess in the market due public regulations (quotas) and the excess milk is converted into milk powder. The milk contains more milk fat than demanded in the market and excess milk fat (cream) is converted into butter. Hence, a marginal demand for milk influences milk powder and butter production whereas it does not influence production in agriculture. Milk powder and butter are produced in excess and excess milk powder is usually donated to developing countries whereas excess butter is usually exported to Russia and elsewhere where it is sold cheap. It is assumed that milk powder and butter donated to developing countries does not displace other products. See Weidema (2003).
The main processes influenced by a marginal milk demand are shown in the figure below exemplified with low fat milk ex dairy .
|
Node cut-off: 0.038% |
| Figur 1: Market based product chain diagram for low fat milk production covering the most important processes in terms of contribution to global warming. Boxes refer to production processes. Names of grey boxes refer to the main product of the processes. Red arrows represent material or energy transfer between two processes; green arrows represent saved material or energy transfer as a result of displacements; green lines represent displacements and red lines represent avoided displacements. Further details can be found in the LCA model. |
Usage of milk from dairy farm and contributions to butter production are specific for specific kinds of milk due their different fat contents. Specific raw milk consumptions and contributions to butter production have been determined for each category of milk based on fat contents, see table below.
|
|
Fat content (%) |
Raw milk1 consumption |
Cream2 |
|
Skimmed milk |
0.1 |
1.12 |
0.12 |
|
Low fat milk |
1.5 |
1.08 |
0.08 |
|
Full milk |
3.5 |
1.02 |
0.02 |
|
Mini milk |
0.5 |
1.11 |
0.11 |
|
1) 4.29% fat; 2) 38% fat. |
The tables
below show
the
potential
environmental impacts
associated with various
types of milk. All data are provided per kg of product.
Skimmed milk
|
Impact category
|
Unit | Ex dairy |
Ex retail |
||
|
Conventional |
Organic |
Conventional |
Organic |
||
|
Global warming |
g CO2-eq. |
-44 |
|
1.8 |
|
|
Acidification |
g SO2-eq. |
-0.062 |
|
0.30 |
|
| Nutrient enrichment | g NO3-eq. | -0.043 | 0.51 | ||
| Photochemical smog | g ethene eq. | -0.020 | 0.07 | ||
| Land use | m2 year | 0 | 0 | ||
|
Location in database: Material/Food from industry/From dairies/ and Materials/Food from supermarket/Milk counter/ |
Low fat milk
|
Impact category
|
Unit | Ex dairy |
Ex retail |
||
|
Conventional |
Organic |
Conventional |
Organic |
||
|
Global warming |
g CO2-eq. |
-45 |
|
1.1 |
|
|
Acidification |
g SO2-eq. |
-0.062 |
|
0.30 |
|
| Nutrient enrichment | g NO3-eq. | -0.045 | 0.51 | ||
| Photochemical smog | g ethene eq. | -0.020 | 0.07 | ||
| Land use | m2 year | 0 | 0 | ||
| Location in database: Material/Food from industry/From dairies/ and Materials/food from supermarket/Milk counter/ |
Full milk
|
Impact category
|
Unit | Ex dairy |
Ex retail |
||
|
Conventional |
Organic |
Conventional |
Organic |
||
|
Global warming |
g CO2-eq. |
-46 |
|
-0.09 |
|
|
Acidification |
g SO2-eq. |
-0.063 |
|
0.30 |
|
| Nutrient enrichment | g NO3-eq. | -0.047 | 0.51 | ||
| Photochemical smog | g ethene eq. | -0.02 | 0.07 | ||
| Land use | m2 year | 0 | 0 | ||
| Location in database: Material/Food from industry/From dairies/ and Materials/Food from supermarket/Milk counter/ |
Mini milk
|
Impact category
|
Unit | Ex dairy |
Ex retail |
||
|
Conventional |
Organic |
Conventional |
Organic |
||
|
Global warming |
g CO2-eq. |
-44 |
|
1.6 |
|
|
Acidification |
g SO2-eq. |
-0.062 |
|
0.30 |
|
| Nutrient enrichment | g NO3-eq. | -0.043 | 0.51 | ||
| Photochemical smog | g ethene eq. | -0.02 | 0.07 | ||
| Land use | m2 year | 0 | 0 | ||