Farm data cuts milk carbon footprint in Bangladesh

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes · Last updated: 17 September 2026

Elias Uddin's lab used farm-level measurements from the Bangladesh Agricultural University Dairy Farm (data collected 2018–2023) to recalculate the environmental cost of producing milk and found an on‑farm carbon footprint of 5.18 kilograms per kilogram of milk. The team applied the IPCC's Tier 2 equations and farm-specific inputs and reported a 27% lower footprint than earlier, more general Tier 1 estimates; rising herd productivity over the five years produced a 37% drop in the footprint. The analysis and Uddin's comments were described by Anna Zarra Aldrich of UConn, as first reported by UConn Today.

We saw that increasing productivity is really a crucial thing, and very important to reduce the carbon footprint,

Elias Uddin

How farm-specific data changed the calculation

The research team built its life cycle assessment from measurements taken directly on one Bangladesh Agricultural University Dairy Farm between 2018 and 2023 rather than relying on generalized regional averages. They combined locally recorded feed inputs, herd structure and on‑site management details with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Tier 2 equations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions per unit of milk.

That farm‑level approach produced a substantially different result than prior, more generic methods: the Tier 2, farm-data calculation came in about 27% lower than a Tier 1 estimate that applies default factors. The study therefore illustrates how national or regional averages can misstate a single farm’s emissions when local productivity, herd makeup and feed efficiency diverge from the defaults.

Which sources drive emissions on the farm

The largest single contributor was enteric fermentation from digestion; the authors report it supplied 48% of the measured emissions. Feed production — including fertilizer applied to grow feed — made up about 24%, manure management about 20% and the energy used to operate the farm about 8%.

Because the team accounted for both lactating and non‑lactating animals, the lifecycle totals reflect the whole production system rather than only milk‑producing cows. Uddin emphasised the need to include non‑milking animals in LCA work because they are part of the herd and the resource base that supports milk output.

Productivity, allocation and international comparisons

Over the five years studied, per‑cow milk output on the farm rose from an average of 3.53 kilograms per day in 2018 to 5.76 kilograms per day in 2023, a 63% increase that the authors link to genetic selection and improved herd management including a more balanced diet. That productivity gain translated into a 37% fall in the per‑kilogram carbon footprint on the same farm.

Allocation of emissions between meat and milk also changes the picture. Because many Bangladeshi herds are dual‑purpose — raised for both dairy and meat — the team allocated about 50% of on‑farm emissions to milk; comparable U.S. studies typically allocate closer to 90% to milk when operations are specialised. To enable fair cross‑system comparisons the researchers therefore also examined emissions per unit of nutrients, such as protein or calories, produced by the farm.

How the finding could play out

The bottom line

This study shows that detailed, farm‑level measurement combined with IPCC Tier 2 methods can materially change the carbon accounting for milk in lower‑productivity systems. On the Bangladesh farm studied the team reported 5.18 kilograms of carbon per kilogram of milk and found that management and breeding improvements that raised productivity were a decisive lever for lowering emissions intensity. Wider adoption of farm‑specific data collection would be needed to tell whether these results generalise across the country or region, and adding post‑farm stages remains necessary to compare full supply‑chain footprints.

What to watch

• Watch for follow-up studies that apply Tier 2, farm-level measurements to multiple Bangladesh farms; no date has been set.
• Watch for publications that extend the chain beyond the farm to include processing and transport; no date has been set.