A first look at a new research report showing that organic dairy farming systems promote cow health and longevity by placing less stress on cows and feeding them healthier forage-based diets, while also improving the nutritional quality of milk.
Led by Dr. Charles Benbrook—chief scientist of research institute The Organic Center and former executive director on the National Academy of Science’s Board on Agriculture and the Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture—the research report, titled “A Dairy Farm’s Footprint: Evaluating the Impacts of Conventional and Organic Farming Systems,” compares milk and meat production and revenue earned, feed intakes, the land and agricultural chemicals needed to produce feed, and the volume of wastes generated by representative conventional dairy farms and organic farms.
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