Dairy Processing - July/August 2022 - 24

sustainable way. This balanced decision
making requires science-based information,
technical expertise, financial assistance and
market opportunity. "
" Dairy processors
are pursuing
a range of
strategies to
increase energy
efficiency,
reduce water
withdrawal
and deliver
significant GHG
reductions and
cost savings. "
Karen Scanlon, Dairy
Management Inc.
STANDING OUT
Each year, the US Dairy Sustainability Awards
program, hosted by the Innovation Center for
US Dairy, recognizes farms, businesses and
partnerships for their socially responsible,
economically viable and environmentally sound
practices and technologies that have a broad
and positive impact. The program has given
more than 80 awards since its creation in 2012.
This year, Milk Specialties Global (MSG),
Monroe, Wisc., was recognized for Outstanding
Dairy Processing Sustainability. To meet demand
for dairy protein in foods and beverages, MSG
acquired a plant in Monroe, Wisc., to collect and
process whey, a by-product of cheesemaking,
into whey proteins. However, the whey supply
from local cheesemakers far outweighed
processing capacity. Instead of trucking the
whey to a larger plant, MSG found a way to
double capacity at the plant without increasing
the facility's footprint. Artisanal cheesemakers
saw a waste product turn into a revenue stream.
Additionally, truck miles decreased by
237,232 miles, saving 47,446 gallons of diesel
fuel and reducing GHG emissions by 486 metric
tons; 2.9 million gallons of water are now
reclaimed and returned to the local watershed
24 JUL-AUG 2022 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
and more than 53,000 pounds of whey protein is
produced annually.
Additionally, Bel Brands USA, Chicago,
and Land O'Lakes Inc., Arden Mills, Minn.,
were recognized for Outstanding Supply Chain
Sustainability for a collaborative multi-year
program designed to demonstrate the value
of feed production practices that improve
soil health, reduce greenhouse gas, improve
sustainable farming practices and reduce dairy's
environmental footprint.
The project provides cost incentives, access
to resources and expertise, and the use of the
Truterra Insights Engine to participating farms.
The first pilot took place on Boadwine Farms,
Baltic, SD, a member-owner of Land O'Lakes,
where efforts to improve soil health have been
ongoing for more than 10 years. The program is
being expanded to dairy farms ranging in size
from 450 to 2,000 cows.
" Our partnership with Land O'Lakes and
dairy farmers exemplifies our unwavering
commitment to sustainability, " said Brian Zook,
director, milk sourcing and sustainability at Bel
Brands USA. " We want to be the best possible
partners to dairy farmers in their efforts to
make the dairy industry more sustainable and
conserve the planet's resources across all areas
of supply chain. "
In early 2022, Bel committed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire
value chain by 25% between 2017 and 2035.
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Dairy Processing - July/August 2022

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