By Blake Jackson
Cornell University researchers are teaming up with scientists from leading NGOs to accelerate strategies that cut greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy sector.
In advance of Climate Week NYC 2025, the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and its partners announced the first five recipients of the Dairy Sustainability Awards.
These research collaborations will focus on improving calf nutrition, testing methane-reducing feed additives, supporting manure digesters that generate biogas, and advancing satellite and aircraft-based methane monitoring.
The awards are the result of a workshop held last fall by Cornell Atkinson, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Clean Air Task Force (CATF), and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). That gathering identified major gaps in research, technology, and policy that, if addressed, could quickly boost sustainability in dairy farming.
The awardees will be highlighted during a Climate Week NYC panel on livestock climate solutions, which is open to in-person and livestream participants.
“When we talk about sustainability in the dairy industry, we mean that in every sense of the term,” said Patrick Beary, the Bruce H. Bailey Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships for Cornell Atkinson.
“We're reducing environmental impacts while helping dairy farms remain profitable. These win-win solutions benefit farmers, communities and the environment.”
U.S. dairy operations have already made progress in cutting their footprint, reducing emissions by 19%, land use by 21% and water use by 30% between 2007 and 2017, according to the Journal of Animal Science.
Yet livestock agriculture still produces about 30% of human-caused methane, a potent but short-lived greenhouse gas.
“Clean Air Task Force brings a long track record of designing and advancing effective environmental policy, while our partners contribute complementary strengths," Fernanda Ferreira, CATF’s director for agriculture methane said.
"Cornell provides globally respected research and breakthrough science on livestock sustainability. EDF and TNC bring deep expertise in applying science to practical solutions… Together, we can ensure that cutting-edge research directly informs policy and practice.”
The 2025 Dairy Sustainability Awards are jointly funded by Cornell, TNC, EDF, and CATF, with grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 depending on the number of NGO partners involved.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-r-j-seymour
Categories: New York, Livestock, Dairy Cattle