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Can technology help achieve sustainable intensification? Evidence from milk recording on Irish dairy farms

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  • Balaine, Lorraine
  • Dillon, Emma J.
  • Läpple, Doris
  • Lynch, John

Abstract

This article explores the potential of a farm technology to simultaneously improve farm efficiency and provide wider environmental and social benefits. Identifying these ‘win-win-win’ strategies and encouraging their widespread adoption is critical to achieve sustainable intensification. Using a nationally representative sample of 296 Irish dairy farms from 2015, propensity score matching is applied to measure the impact of milk recording on a broad set of farm sustainability indicators. The findings reveal that the technology enhances economic sustainability by increasing dairy gross margin and milk yield per cow. Furthermore, social sustainability is improved through a reduction in milk bulk tank somatic cell count (an indicator of animal health and welfare status). Conversely, milk recording (as it is currently implemented) does not impact farm environmental sustainability, represented by greenhouse gas emission efficiency. While the study shows that milk recording is a ‘win-win’ strategy, ways of improving current levels of utilisation are discussed so that milk recording achieves its ‘win-win-win’ potential in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Balaine, Lorraine & Dillon, Emma J. & Läpple, Doris & Lynch, John, 2020. "Can technology help achieve sustainable intensification? Evidence from milk recording on Irish dairy farms," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:92:y:2020:i:c:s0264837719310488
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104437
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    2. Jakub Staniszewski & Łukasz Kryszak, 2022. "Do Structures Matter in the Process of Sustainable Intensification? A Case Study of Agriculture in the European Union Countries," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, February.
    3. Meike Weltin & Silke Hüttel, 2023. "Sustainable Intensification Farming as an Enabler for Farm Eco-Efficiency?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(1), pages 315-342, January.
    4. Gregory D. Miller & Mitch Kanter & Laurence Rycken & Kevin B. Comerford & Nicholas M. Gardner & Katie A. Brown, 2021. "Food Systems Transformation for Child Health and Well-Being: The Essential Role of Dairy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Xie, Xianxiong & Cui, Yu & Yao, Liuyang & Ni, Qi & Khan, Sufyan Ullah & Zhao, Minjuan, 2022. "Does fallow policy affect rural household income in poor areas? A quasi-experimental evidence from fallow pilot area in Northwest China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    6. Tsakiridis, Andreas & O’Donoghue, Cathal & Ryan, Mary & Cullen, Paula & Ó hUallacháin, Daire & Sheridan, Helen & Stout, Jane, 2022. "Examining the relationship between farmer participation in an agri-environment scheme and the quantity and quality of semi-natural habitats on Irish farms," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    7. Xabier Díaz de Otálora & Agustín del Prado & Federico Dragoni & Fernando Estellés & Barbara Amon, 2021. "Evaluating Three-Pillar Sustainability Modelling Approaches for Dairy Cattle Production Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, June.

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