Environmental Benefits of rbST Supplements

PRODUCING MILK USING FEWER RESOURCES & GENERATING LESS WASTE

The net benefits of producing 10% more milk than the 1996 annual supply (19 billion gallons) using the same number of dairy cows and 100% adoption of rbST would include:

Water – irrigation for feed grains. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would save 180 billion gal/yr of water, or the equivalent of 700,000 U.S. homes’ annual usage.Land – used for feed grain farming. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would save 1.7 million acres of land, or 1/3 the land area of New Jersey.Fuel – for grain, dairy operations, and (including) rbST production. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would save 150 million gal/yr of fuel, or 240,000 homes’ annual consumption.

Gases – methane (greenhouse) gases from cows. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would reduce 4.9 million tons/yr gas emissions.

Manure – 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would reduce 0.9 million metric tons/yr of manure.

Soil loss — erosion from grain farming. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would reduce 5.3 million tons/yr soil loss, or 1% of the U.S. total soil.

Source: Kansas State University
Author: Brouck, Smith