Four years after its launch, the KlimaStaR Milk resource project is reporting significant progress in reducing the environmental impact of milk production. The cross-industry initiative, led by Emmi, Nestlé, aaremilch, ZMP, and AgroCleanTech with support from the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and feed-food competition by 20% each by 2027. According to a recent media release as PDF, participating farms have already surpassed the feed-food competition target, achieving a 23% reduction since the project's start.
At the end of 2025, 219 dairy farms producing approximately 73 million kilograms of milk annually were involved. These farms have increasingly adopted animal feed that does not compete with human nutrition, such as by-products from food production. This shift has not only reduced competition for feed-food but also lessened competition for land, which is now 15% below the baseline. As a result, farms are producing more milk and animal protein on the same or only slightly larger area. Greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of milk have also decreased by around 8% relative to the start of the project, with a reduction of 66 grams of CO2 equivalents per kilogram in 2025. Extrapolated across the total milk production, this equates to a reduction of nearly 5,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared to the original production system.
However, the project faces challenges in further reducing emissions. The baseline values for greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland were lower than initially assumed and are below the international average, making additional cuts more difficult. Farms also require high investments and long planning horizons to implement further measures. In the remaining two years, participants will receive individual guidance and tailored advice, with farms that have successfully lowered emissions sharing their experiences. The positive outcomes have encouraged the industry to expand its commitment beyond the project farms. Based on the findings, the industry organisation Milch (BOM) developed a climate calculator that has been available to all Swiss milk producers since July 2026. This tool allows farms to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and feed-food competition, and to identify optimisation measures. By using the methods developed in the project, the dairy industry is laying the foundation for applying these advancements at the national level, contributing to the Federal Council's objectives for Swiss agriculture up to 2050.
For those interested in learning more about the project, the KlimaStaR Milk website (in German) offers additional information. Various documents, including images, video testimonials, and animated infographics, are also available for download. The project's success demonstrates how collaborative efforts can drive meaningful environmental progress in agriculture, with potential implications for dairy sectors worldwide. As the industry prepares for broader implementation, the KlimaStaR Milk initiative serves as a model for balancing productivity with sustainability. The original release can be viewed on www.newmediawire.com.
