CASE STUDY
Carbon Cycle for Midwest Dairy Farm
A historic, Illinois-based dairy farm hired JBE to help better understand its carbon footprint, carbon handprint, and overall impact to its community.
THE CLIENT’S CHALLENGE
A dairy farm in the Midwest faced the challenge of developing a comprehensive carbon inventory for the first time. This included assessing which categories should be included, such as biogenic emissions from live cattle, manure management, soil management, and wastewater. The farm also needed to select appropriate methodologies from multiple frameworks, adding to the complexity of the task.
OUR SOLUTION
JBE implemented a structured approach to address these challenges:
Methodology Review: JBE reviewed various methodologies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and World Resources Institute (WRI)’s GHG Protocol, and SBTi Forrest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) guidance, to determine the most suitable approach for the farm.
Data Collection Templates: JBE created easy-to-understand data collection templates to facilitate the gathering of necessary information from different farm operations.
Data Quality Checks and Calculations: JBE conducted thorough data quality checks and performed calculations to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the carbon inventory. This included documenting choices, limitations, and potential areas for future improvement.
Tool Review: JBE reviewed farm tools such as the Cool FARM Tool and COMET-Farm to provide guidance on their use for future carbon accounting.
Guidance on Carbon Accounting Frameworks: JBE provided guidance on the differences between carbon accounting frameworks, such as product-level life cycle assessment (LCA) versus Scope 1 and 2 inventories, to help the farm understand and apply the most appropriate framework for their needs.
Quantification of Avoided Carbon: JBE quantified the avoided carbon emissions resulting from farmland protection, highlighting the benefits of not converting the farm into low-density residential housing.
Documentation and Training: JBE documented the entire process and provided training to farm staff to ensure they could maintain and update the carbon inventory in the future.
OUR IMPACT
As a result of JBE's efforts, the dairy farm now has a comprehensive carbon inventory that includes all relevant categories. This new information enables the farm to respond to key customer and community outreach inquiries about their carbon footprint. The farm is also better equipped to make informed decisions about sustainability practices and future improvements.