Dr. Jude Capper, Washington State University, Assistant Professor of Dairy Sciences (pictured on the left) is a myth buster. At the Alltech International Symposium she took on the myths about the carbon footprint of modern dairy production. Her presentation was titled, “Managing the media myth: What is the truth behind the carbon footprint of modern dairy production? Things you should know.” I spoke with her to find out what we should know.
Jude says that the main takeaway from her remarks is “If we improve productivity, we cut land use, we cut water use, we cut fertilizer and fossil fuel use and we cut the total carbon footprint.” Now how often have you heard modern dairy production portrayed in that light? But that’s the truth and a story that needs to be told. Compared to 1944 the carbon footprint of a pound of milk has decreased by 63 percent! She says we still have a lot of room for improvement too. Her research has focused on American dairy production but she says that this same trend is happening in countries around the world. I am glad we had her on the program! Dr. Jude Capper Interview
You can find more information about her research on the WSU website.