Nocton Dairies Ltd - farming futures

Efficient farming or factory farming?

In the last 12 months, several proposals to create ‘super dairies’ or ‘super piggeries’ have hit the headlines. It’s creating a stir in both the farming community and the general public.

http://www.farmingfutures.org.uk/blog/mixed-farming-or-factory-farming

Nocton could provide lowest carbon footprint - Kendall

http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/business/business-news/nocton-could-provide-lowest-carbon-footprint-kendall/34646.article

‘Give super dairies a try’ says NFU

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2010/09/29/123711/Give-super-dairies-a-try-says-NFU.htm

Interesting that the header to the Farmer's Guardian article has the word 'could' in it. When the original planning application was submitted there were a number of unvalidated statements made about this development, so much so that North Kesteven District Council have now requested hard evidence to support much of the rhetoric.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Opinion document issued to Nocton Dairies Ltd (obtained from NKDC Planning Portal - 10_0831_EIASCO_NKDC_FORMAL_SCOPING_OPINION_250300), demonstrates the amount of information that is required as evidence following the Environmental Impact Assessment.

What is a 'Carbon Footprint' you may ask?

This is a calculation of total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly/indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product. There are two types of carbon footprint:

Organisational - where emissions from all activities across the organisation are calculated, including the building's energy use, industrial processes and company vehicles.

Product - where emissions from the whole life of the product or service is calculated, from the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing right through to its use and final re-use, recycling or disposal.

The footprint considers all six of the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases:
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

(Source: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/)

Taking account of all 'cradle-grave' operations of this intensive dairy, I would be interested to see if Peter Kendall's supposition holds water.

An alternative viewpoint is here:

Dairy sector accounts for 4 per cent of global emissions

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/468888/dairy_sector_accounts_for_4_per_cent_of_global_emissions.html

DEFRA carbon footprint scheme could harm UK dairy industry, warns consultant

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/03/19/102368/DEFRA-carbon-footprint-scheme-could-harm-UK-dairy-industry-warns.htm