Cadbury recently partnered with the Carbon Trust to calculate the carbon footprint for milk chocolate and discovered that milk contributed more than 60 percent of the product's emissions.
In response, Cadbury is launching a pilot program and a guide to help dairy farmers reduce emissions in Selkley Vale in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Last year, the confectionary maker launched a corporate social responsibility Web site.
The emissions targeted by the Cadbury Guide to Low Carbon Dairy Farming CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, which contribute 23 percent, 25 percent and 52 percent of emissions from the average dairy farm, respectively.
The guide aims to reduce these emissions by improving herd health and welfare so more milk can be produced and greenhouse gas production per liter reduced. Cows will also be given a special diet with cuts in fiber level and increases in starch level. Fertilizers will also be timed to minimize waste and excess use of inorganic fertilizers will also be avoided. Lastly, timers and passive infrared sensors will also be installed to switch off equipment when not in use.
Some UK farmers have already put their cows on a special diet in order to reduce GHG emissions.
In January, the World Cocoa Foundation pledged to make cocoa-growing sustainable.
