DAIRY NEWS – Understanding the options, opportunities, risks and pitfalls of the growing carbon market sector is critical for dairy producers to improve their management practices and retain market access. Carbon Conference 2.0 presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) will provide focused insights and access to leading experts for producers and industry professionals interested in building their carbon expertise.
The one-day event will be held on Tue., Jan. 30, 2024, at the Sheraton Madison Hotel in Madison, Wis. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the program will conclude at 3:30 p.m.
“Carbon Conference 2.0 is designed to bring together all stakeholders so they understand the concepts and can apply the information directly to their business,” said Shelly Mayer, dairy producer from Slinger, Wis., and PDPW executive director. “There are serious positive and negative implications to consider in the carbon conversation. Everyone involved – from the producer to the retailer – must understand the vernacular if the dairy sector is to be sustainable long term.”
The interactive sessions will focus on critical elements such as helping producers determine their current carbon footprint number. The program will also help attendees understand how the carbon-footprint-reduction pledges made by national and international companies can provide both opportunities and challenges for producers. Speakers will outline the details of carbon markets, including the difference between offsets and insets and how each is calculated.
Presenters will be available for conversations and questions all day. Featured experts include:
- Mark Inkrott, co-founder and partner of Upfield Group, a consulting and private investment firm. He has led its consulting business for agriculture, food, energy and sports sectors for 15 years. Prior to Upfield Group, Inkrott worked for Dairy Management Inc and the Innovation Center of U.S. Dairy in a variety of strategic roles.
- Dr. Sara Kvidera, Ph.D., is a dairy technical consultant for Elanco Animal Health who has studied and published in areas related to dairy cow metabolism, heat stress, inflammation, feed additives and gut health. She earned her bachelor’s in science at Kansas State University and completed her doctorate in nutritional science at Iowa State University.
- Daniel Peerless is the sustainable sourcing lead for dairy, meat, poultry and eggs for Nestlé Global and leads the implementation of the Nestlé Responsible Sourcing Standard within the global supply chain. As the technical lead for the Dairy Climate Taskforce, he identifies technologies and practices that can be applied to reduce emissions in Nestlé’s dairy supply.
- Patrick Wood, founder of Ag Methane Advisors, a consulting firm that helps livestock producers reap the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For 17 years, he has focused on the various environmental commodities available to dairy producers.
Learn more about the 2024 PDPW Carbon Conference 2.0 here including speaker information and available continuing-education units. Register your team today by scanning the QR code in the program flier or contacting PDPW at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW and using #mypdpw on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
