Carbon footprints are an important tool providing insight on the environmental impact of an entity, but this case study is focussed on the role that a carbon footprint analyses can play in providing feedback to farmers on their farm productivity.
There is often a gap between what is known and what is practiced. It is called the knowing-doing gap and I think this gap is especially prevalent in agriculture.
The Woodlands Dairy soil lab analyses are used as soil sustainability indicators that form a part of the SWAN sustainable system.
Life contains energy, and all life requires energy to function. Energy is found, and needed, in various forms. In soil, the greatest source of energy is in the form of organic matter and carbon therein.
Here is an example of how improved soil life and good soil structure can unlock unavailable nitrogen into a form that is readily available for pasture uptake. You can possibly reduce your nitrogen fertiliser costs.
As a farmer, he said, he sees the soil life on his farm as another ‘herd’ which he has to provide for, especially with regards to food. If he looks after his soil life ‘herd’, then they will look after the soil and ensure that it is healthy.
I feel that sustainability as a word and term has been thrown around lately as a buzz word that people are impressed by, but do not actually understand. Part of the problem is that sustainability is used to describe a large variation of things.
Woodlands Dairy, a fresh milk processor and producer and packager of dairy products located in the Eastern Cape, partners with Trace & Save, to implement the Woodlands Dairy Sustainability Project.