A variety of food is produced and passes the whole chain by processing, transport and trade and finally it ends up with the consumer. But in many cases, the food is disposed before it is eaten. Some of the produced food does not even pass the whole entire chain before it turns to waste. The question about food waste in debates is a case of access to food for every human beeing. It is question of consumption of the resources, waste management and an issue of environmental impact. Measurable statistics can be found in the later stages of the chain, but the basis for the quantities that may be one of the primary production is not as clear. My object of this thesis has been to acquire knowledge about where the milk ends up at the farm. How much is direct food for humans, how much are destined for processing, how much goes back into production - to the calves, and how large proportion becomes waste that is converted into manure. I also wanted to know the causes of why the milk ends up where it actually does. After visiting 17 dairy farms in Bohuslän, Dalsland and Västra Götaland, and through discussions with involved farmers I have found that the milk that turns into manure are collectively less than 1% of the produced milk. The main reason why the milk in the daily production goes into manure heap from the farmers I have visited, is because of the cows that are sick with mastitis or lameness, and their following penicillin therapy makes the milk become contaminated. 3% of the produced milk is essential for the future, when it goes directly to the calves. The entire 97% is produced and reaches the goal with the dairy farmer's entire business - it goes further as a potential food for humans.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-30474 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Bergman, Agneta |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för naturvetenskap, NV |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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