Skip to main content
Login | Suomeksi | På svenska | In English

Browsing by Subject "Dairy"

Sort by: Order: Results:

  • Suomalaisen maidon- ja naudanlihantuotannon kasvihuonekaasupäästöt eri tuotantoskenaarioissa 
    Hakala, Tuuli (2019)
    Efforts must be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and beef production in order to curb climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of milk yield, longevity, fertility and live weight of dairy cows, calf mortality and feeding of dairy cows on greenhouse gas emissions of dairy and beef production. The analysis was carried out by production systems and by the total bovine sector, with total annual milk and beef production in each scenario being constant. The research method used was the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) developed by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Calculations were made using the GLEAM-i -tool. The results showed that greenhouse gas emissions from milk production fell as average milk yield increased, cow longevity improved and live weight decreased. Decreased calf mortality or improved fertility of dairy herds did not affect milk output. The focus of beef production varied between the milk system and suckler cow production in the scenarios, which also led to a shift of greenhouse gas emissions from one system to another. Total bovine sector emissions decreased as average milk yields increased, cow fertility improved, calf mortality decreased and dairy cows live weight decreased. Increasing the proportion of concentraits in dairy cattle feeding reduced the greenhouse gas emissions of milk. Regarding feeding results, it should be noted that the calculation does not include land use change or carbon capture in feed production. Based on this study, it is possible to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Finnish milk production and the main breeding goals of dairy cattle support the promotion of climate efficiency. The live weight of dairy cows should possibly be limited. However, the interconnectedness of milk and beef production should be taken into account and the changes in emissions in dairy and beef cattle should be monitored simultaneously.
  • The Role of Dairy and Dairy Alternatives in Food Preparation Practice: Insights from the Countryside of North Ostrobothnia 
    Järvinen, Saraleena (2024)
    Background: Dairy has a culturally and economically quintessential role in European countries while significantly contributing to GHG emissions. However, flexitarian dairy consumers are scarcely researched, especially in Finland, one of the world’s most dairy-intense countries. There is a rising need for comprehensive research on dairy consumption and the role of dairy in everyday life food consumption practices. Objectives: With a social practice theoretical approach, this study aims to understand the role of dairy and dairy alternatives in the food preparation practice of Finns in North Ostrobothnia’s countryside. Daily food preparation and its performances can be defined as routine-like behaviour that consists of several interconnected elements: bodily and mental activities, things and their use, and background knowledge such as understanding, know-how, emotions, and aspirations. The main research objective is divided into two sub-themes: a) what kinds of competences, materials and meanings support the use of dairy in people’s daily food preparation practice, and b) what kinds of competences, materials and meanings promote a change in food preparation practice regarding the use of dairy alternatives. Methods: The data consisted of semi-structured interviews (n=11) gathered through discretionary chain-referral sampling. The study’s participants were required to be born after 1980, live in the countryside of North Ostrobothnia and consume dairy products regularly. The transcribed data was analysed by structuring and coding it into themes formed by elements of competences, materials, and meanings and their interconnections. Results and conclusions: Dairy holds quintessential value in routinised food preparation. Dairy’s role in food preparation was significant as interviewees had a vast amount of silent knowledge and skills on using dairy products to achieve fulfilling and tasty meals approved by others around the same table. Interviewees were accustomed to using particular ingredients provided at home, and dairy was often used in food preparation alongside those foodstuffs. Regularly used recipes often included some type of dairy product. The taste and texture of dairy were highly valued, having a strong cultural meaning: foods containing dairy were considered as ‘proper’ food. Meanings to use dairy alternatives instead of dairy were sustainable and ethical issues, health-related concerns, pure curiosity, and taste. Dairy alternatives were used as dairy products, which made them facile to use as new skills or know-how were not needed. In contrast, a lack of proven recipes and competences to prepare food from dairy alternatives also prevented interviewees from using them. Interviewees did not want to compromise the taste of everyday meals, and dairy alternatives were only used if they did not affect the taste or texture of the food. Preparing food from dairy was intertwined with other food consumption practices, such as eating and shopping for food, which could be concentrated on in future research. More comprehensive cultural change in food consumption practices is required to shift from dairy to plant-based alternatives.

Yhteystiedot

HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO