How are cows and climate really related?

Focus on EU dairy production

Over the past decades, the European Union has significantly reduced livestock emissions through improved feed and herd management, boosting milk output per cow while lowering emissions per unit of production. Since 1990, total methane emissions from livestock have fallen by around 21%, even as dairy production has continued. Milk and dairy products remain essential to European diets, providing high-quality protein, calcium, and vital micronutrients.

The central challenge now is how to further reduce the climate footprint of milk production while maintaining farm competitiveness and the sector’s productive capacity. This event will explore a critical question for the future of European agriculture: how can emissions be reduced without reducing dairy production?

Programme

📅 12th FEBRUARY | 🕑 10:00–11:30 PM | 📍 Room Louise Weiss S3.5

Welcome

• MEP Maria Grapini – 5 min
• MEP Benoît Cassart – 5 min

I. Opening

• Video screening: Milk and Climate
• Professor Peer Ederer – 10 min

II. How to reduce emissions without reducing dairy production?

• Prof. Luciano Pinotti, PhD – Full Professor of Animal Nutrition and Feeding
  Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS)
  Director of the Doctoral School, University of Milan(10 min)
• Prof. Marcin Pszczola – Geneticist and data scientist. Deputy director of Polish Federation of Cattle Breeders and Milk Producers. (10 min)
• Ludovic Blin – French Dairy Farmer (10 min)

III. Exchange of views with MEPs

🗣 15 min discussion with selected speakers

Conclusion

MEP Alexander Bernhuber