Vorwort zur 71. Ausgabe der EkoNiva News von Stefan Dürr

The Paris Agreement guides the international efforts to limit the global temperature increase and fight against climate change. Russia has joined the Agreement and commited to bringing greenhouse gas emissions down to 70% of the 1990 baseline.

EkoNiva has the largest dairy herd in the country. We are well aware that cows produce a lot of methane, but how can we as a company still do our part to be more sustainable?

It is true that the total cattle population in Russia has decreased from 20 million to 7.9 million head, in less than 50 years, and there is no significant growth observed at the moment. Nevertheless, being a responsible producer, we strive for greater sustainability and efficient manure management to minimize the carbon footprint and negative effects on the soil. The manure from our farms is ultimately applied to the fields as organic fertilizer at variable rates. Besides, we are working on a project to build a biogas plant to be able to generate ‘green’ electric power. The first plants will be launched on one of our farms in Moscow oblast. All the initiatives are part of the sustainable development strategy our company has devised based on the principles of responsible environmental management and farming.

However, the point is that agricultural producers alone cannot affect the greenhouse gas emission status in Russia. It is crucial for all the industries, irrespective of the political lobby, to commit to climate protection proportionally to their contribution to global warming. Otherwise, just like it was after Russia acceded to the WTO, it will be the agricultural producers that suffer the most negative implications and the highest loss.

Only by joining our efforts, we can make a difference and preserve the environment to ensure happy and healthy life for future generations.

Stefan Duerr, EkoNiva Group President