Partnerships for the Good

As climate change awareness and concern increases, agriculture has come under increasing scrutiny for its often negative impact on the environment.

Yet, agriculture, and organic agriculture in particular, is the ONE sector that has the ability to transform from a net emitter of CO2 to a net sequesterer of CO2. No other human-managed enterprise has the ability to affect this great a contribution to reducing climate change. For instance, using multiple methods of Carbon Farming increases the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and converted to plant material and/or soil organic matter.

So Organic Valley’s sustainability team is partnering with the sustainability folks at Annie’s Organic, The Carbon Cycle Institute and the California Resource Conservation Districts to develop comprehensive dairy Carbon Farm Plans, which take into account whole-farm carbon flows.

With financial assistance from Annie’s and Organic Valley, three Organic Valley family farms in California will complete three Carbon Farm Plans. It’s important to start with these farms since California state legislation requires dairy and livestock farms to reduce methane emissions by up to 40% by 2030.

In 2018, this initiative will be expanded to other California farmers. From there, we can explore how to bring Carbon Farm Planning to other Organic Valley farmers across the country.