Press Release:

CARBON FOOTPRINTING EARNS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS FOR DAIRY FARMERS

Alltech E-CO2, the UK’s leading provider of on-farm environmental and carbon assessments, has teamed up with Dairy Pro, the professional development register for the dairy industry, to award points to farmers who undertake a Dairy EA™ environmental assessment.

Dairy Pro’s Helen Brookes said she’s delighted that Alltech E-CO2 has joined as Dairy Pro’s latest training partner because of the close correlation between low carbon footprints and efficient use of farm resources.

“ Carbon footprinting is targeted at lowering greenhouse gas emissions but it also requires the farmer to scrutinise physical performance and outputs against inputs,” she said. “This usually highlights a number of opportunities to reduce costs.

“So we’re very pleased that BASIS, the body administering the Dairy Pro scheme, has agreed to award three points each and every time a farmer goes through the Alltech E-CO2 assessment process, which is annually.”

James Wynne, head of farm and consultancy services for Alltech E-CO2, said having three Dairy Pro points allocated to assessments underlines the wider value that carbon footprinting delivers.

“ The process is thorough, taking in sales and purchases, productivity, rumen efficiency, replacement rates, feed, water, bedding, fertiliser and energy use,” he explains. “Out of this an incredibly useful report is generated. It calculates emissions per litre of milk produced, but more importantly, pinpoints hot spots such as over-reliance on bought-in feeds, weaknesses in fertility performance, sub-optimal soil nutrient management and the effectiveness of the herd health plan.

“ The efficiency benefit of, for example, low herd replacement rates or using sexed semen, will also be flagged, whereas these aren’t always given due credit through other measurement tools. The drive to promote efficiency and reduce environmental impact is why farmer-owned cooperative, Arla Foods, has included an Alltech E-CO2 assessment as part of its Sustainable Dairy Farming Growing Together programme,” concluded Wynne. The assessment process takes approximately two hours provided the data is to hand, which includes a farm walk and discussion about the action points suggested by the results. This is followed up with a full report detailing specific areas where performance can be improved.

Three Dairy Pro points will be awarded to the person representing the farm business in the Dairy EA assessment once Alltech E-CO2 notifies Dairy Pro that the assessment has been completed. The three points will contribute towards the 20-point target to achieve Dairy Pro Endorsed status each year. The more concise Dairy Swift-EA assessment offered by

Alltech E-CO2 is also recognised by Dairy Pro, attracting one point.

For more information on Alltech E-CO2, visit www.alltech-e-co2.com; further details about Dairy Pro can be found at www.dairypro.co.uk.

-Ends-

Picture supplied: James Wynne (right), head of farm and consultancy services for Alltech E-CO2, said having three Dairy Pro points allocated to assessments underlines the wider value that carbon footprinting delivers.

Notes to editors:

About Alltech ECO2 1. This news release has been distributed to media in the UK on behalf of Alltech E- CO2. th 2. Alltech E-CO2 was formed on the 5 February 2015 when global animal health and nutrition leader Alltech completed the purchase of The E-CO2 Project Limited. The business was purchased to strengthen Alltech’s environmental service offering to UK livestock producers. 3. Alltech E-CO2 is a leading provider of on-farm environmental and carbon assessments, established to help combat climate change and agricultural sustainability issues. With farming at its core, Alltech E-CO2 develops solutions for the benefit of the farmer, pinpointing opportunities to improve on-farm efficiency for increased profitability and sustainability. As such, regional on-farm assessment staff are based throughout the UK and Ireland, providing a wide reaching team available to offer informed consultancy and advice. 4. Alltech E-CO2 works with the Carbon Trust to accredit their tools to the internationally recognised PAS2050 life cycle analysis standard. This ensures that products and services provided by Alltech E-CO2 are independently assessed and internationally verified, assuring customers of high quality. 5. Founded in 1980 by Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech improves the health and performance of people, animals and plants through natural nutrition and scientific innovation. With more than 3,000 employees and a presence in 128 countries, the company has developed a strong regional presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. For further information, visit: www.alltech.com For media assets, visit: www.alltech.com/news About Dairy Pro:  Dairy Pro was founded in 2012. Its aim is to demonstrate and improve the level of professionalism within the dairy farming industry.  Dairy Pro is a professional development register (operated by BASIS) which has over 90 training partners on it, from DairyCo to RABDF to vet practices.  Dairy Pro currently has nearly 1,000 members – farmers, farm workers and associates (e.g. those not farming but involved in the industry).

How it works:  Training partners register their events and courses, each of which is awarded points through BASIS depending on complexity, commitment required etc. and posted on a calendar.  All training partners are assessed by BASIS to gauge suitability for Dairy Pro through a set of SOP rules; this safeguards the educational quality and independence of each training activity.  Each event submitted for accreditation must have a clear purpose and agenda to gain accreditation, and BASIS undertakes random checks on 5% of training activities to ensure delivery is in compliance with Dairy Pro standards.  Training partners register the participation of Dairy Pro members in their training activities and send this information back to BASIS so it can be added to individual training records.  Training profiles are then compiled and can then be downloaded for individuals, farm businesses etc.  Individuals gaining a minimum of 20 points in a calendar year will become ‘Dairy Pro Endorsed’ (attendance at a 1 day workshop, membership of a discussion group and the completion of an online assessment will achieve this target, so 20 is very achievable); this will remain in place as long as the individual maintains his or her minimum points each year.  Becoming ‘Dairy Pro Endorsed’ signifies that a member has undertaken sufficient training and development over that year to maintain a strong skill base, and is on a par with the minimum requirements of other comparable CPD schemes.

8 June 2015

Further information from:

Matt Mellor, ABC Ltd. Tel: 01694 731777 E-mail: [email protected]