Objectives

Sustainable dairy production requires a simultaneous consideration of economic, environmental and societal aspects. Sustainable dairy production requires system thinking which regards dairy production as a complex set of interdependent system components like feed production, animal health, welfare, breeding, feeding, housing, pasture, manure management, and food quality. Α sustainable dairy production system (DPS) has to be investigated in a whole systems’ approach. MilKey will use data, models and technologies that have been developed by the participating partners and develop them further within the project lifetime.

Case studies play an important role in the MilKey concept. They will be used to deliver data for the model optimisation and to characterise typical parameters of dairy production in key European areas. Several options for environmental improvement, and aspects and indicators of social sustainability will be identified. Measures to optimise case study farms will be suggested and the system response tested. In addition to their scientific value, case study farms play a decisive role in communicating MilKey results to a broad audience.

Farm level strategies proposed to improve sustainability of dairy production are highly diverse, and tools to assess their effectiveness and their impacts across scales are scarce. Such tools must aim not only on the direct effects on farm level indicators, but need to target the complex interplay between local interventions and implications across scales, e.g. at the regional, country or European level as well as interactions between biophysical, ecological and socio-economic processes. MilKey will use the widely accepted LCA approach for achieving this objective.

This tool will be a decisive step forward in automating barn climate control for low emissions, and better animal welfare. Real-time visualisation of temporal and spatial distribution of monitored data inside the barns will be used for continuous optimisation of mitigation measures and for the monitoring of their effectiveness.

The MilKey platform will integrate region specific input variables and will deliver output data that promote the sustainability of a range of dairy production systems across Europe. It will show the effect of giving contrast impetus to the three pillars of sustainability in key European regions. The platform will integrate a decision support system to assist making knowledgeable decisions on 3P sustainability as a basis for flexible concepts for sustainable milk production in key European regions. With its development, the intention is to: a) assist decision-makers (e.g. farmers, extension service, policy) in making knowledge-based decisions on the 3-pillar sustainability concepts for dairy production systems and assess their consequences; b) provide information for consumers and the public at large on key aspects of sustainable dairy production systems in European regions; and c) to continue the collaboration between the relevant stakeholders beyond the project’s lifetime and initiate follow up projects.

MilKey will support European dairy production through the accomplishment of the objectives and through creating awareness and stimulating long-term inter- and transdisciplinary multi-actor collaboration.