Comparative carbon footprints of buffalo milk produced at smallholder and organised farms in Hisar district of Haryana, India

The present study was conducted to compare the carbon footprint of milk produced in 75 smallholder farms and two organised buffalo Hisar district Haryana using Life Cycle Assessment approach. Primary data collected from farmers farm managers for study. Functional unit one litre with system boundary being ‘Cradle-to-farm gate’. Methodology prescribed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used estimation emissions different sources. Secondary also relied upon synthetic fertilizers seeds, combustion fossil fuel, production concentrates dry fodders. average rural were 3.54 4.53 kg CO₂-eq./L milk, respectively, indicating superiority village level systems. Methane enteric fermentation estimated be contributing nearly half total greenhouse gas emissions. It is suggested that systems should favoured over ones given lower