PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Pennsylvania dairy farmers may soon be joining the fight against climate change. A team of researchers at Penn State received a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a study that will investigate how Pennsylvania dairy farmers can reduce their emissions through "climate-smart" practices.
"The main goal of the project is to implement practices, that reduce greenhouse gas emissions," explained Armen Kemanian, a plant science professor at Penn State and the lead researcher of the project.
These practices can range from various animal feeding strategies to manure storage methods. Their impact will be studied at 70 farms across Pennsylvania that will be selected with the help of the Center for Dairy Excellence, a non-profit created by the Pa. Department of Agriculture.
"Our dairy farmers are original stewards of the environment. They care deeply about the contributions they are making to the environment and to the sustainability of both their farms and of our climate," said Jayne Sebright, executive director at the Center for Dairy Excellence. "This grant gives them a chance to do even more of that."
The researchers say the partnership with these farms is instrumental in developing feasible practices.
"Working with producers is key. Nobody knows the farms better than them," said Kemanian. "When we implement this practice, we are going to learn what works best."
According to Penn State's researchers, the agriculture industry contributes 20% of the total greenhouse gas emissions globally. It's a number they say can be curbed in Pennsylvania and beyond with the help of this study.
"The reductions in emissions are significant. One not only for Pennsylvania dairies but because this is a pilot that can be applied elsewhere," said Kemanian.
Researchers hope the results will encourage even more farmers to use climate-smart practices.
"[We hope] producers are on board to try more technologies. [They see] there is benefits through climate commodities in different forms and that there is an upward trend. That will be the success."
The study is set to take place over the next five years and is set to be complete by 2028.