PRINT page | RETURN to previous page

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.

PRINT page | RETURN to previous page

HOME | CONTACT