Welcome to the Climate Farm

Climate protection on a dairy farm

It’s a cool morning in the Münsterland region. Life is in full swing on the Holtkamp farm: Cows are being fed and milked, stalls are being cleaned, and the first rays of sunlight glint across the still-damp grass. How things work here and what’s going to change in the future – that’s what Hermann and Hendrik Holtkamp, farmers in the ninth and tenth generation on the farm, show us today. As we walk around, it becomes clear how much passion, technology, and knowledge come together – from deciding which feed is best to efficiently utilizing manure. The farmers explain the questions they’re asking themselves about climate protection on a dairy farm. And we see how agriculture and climate action can go hand in hand.

What does the “Climate Farms” project include?

The “Climate Farms” project involves six partner farms that supply milk to the Moers Frischeprodukte dairy in Moers. They are exploring ways dairy farms can reduce the CO₂ footprint of milk production. Over a three-year period (2026–2028), Molkerei Gropper and Dr. Oetker are jointly financing this pilot project, which is consulted by the Chamber of Agriculture North Rhine-Westphalia. Together with the managers of the partner farms, measures to improve the climate balance will be tested, their feasibility, costs and impact on the climate and animal welfare assessed, and experiences shared.

The “Climate Farm” project team (from left): Steffen Berchtold (Gropper), Katharina Hackstein (Moers Frischeprodukte), Simon Ickerott (Chamber of Agriculture North Rhine-Westphalia), Matthias Fried (Moers Frischeprodukte), Xian Tian, Elias Schwenk, Alexander Sack, and Jan Bethge (all Dr. Oetker).

Why is this important?

Around 20 % of our annual corporate CO₂ footprint comes from milk-based products – from the cheese on our pizzas to fresh items like PAULA Pudding. Raw milk plays a key role in this. We need large quantities of milk – and its production is quite emission-intensive. That’s why we want to work on making it as climate-efficiently as possible in the future.

What we can do

Milk production generates different greenhouse gases: Methane is emitted in large quantities during the cows’ digestive processes, and nitrous oxide arises from manure storage and feed cultivation. Cows that produce a lot of milk require supplementary feed, which often has a poorer climate balance due to more complex processing and, in some cases, longer transport routes.

Possible levers for more climate-friendly milk

1. Feeding: use of regional feed as well as local, protein-rich feed and additives that reduce methane formation.
2. Feed production: for example, the use of technologies that improve the storage and application of fertilizer and manure to reduce harmful gases.
3. Animal husbandry: enhancing animal welfare and introducing modern housing systems that lower emissions by improving efficiency.
4. Young cattle rearing: optimizing feeding and stable conditions.
5. Nutrient management: using manure in biogas plants and acidifying slurry to enhance fertilization.
6. Energy use: utilizing renewable energy on farms such as solar power or biogas – and improving energy efficiency through modern vehicles and machinery.
7. Cooperation & knowledge transfer: joint pilot projects with farms help create practical solutions that can later be applied across larger parts of the supply chain.

»Sustainability only works when we work together. That’s why we’re investing in this pilot project and supporting our farmers in testing, evaluating, and developing new ideas for more climate-friendly milk. Direct exchange, shared learning, and on-farm implementation make this project truly valuable for all of us.«

Heinrich Gropper, Owner and Managing Director, Gropper Dairy

»Together with our partner farms and Gropper, we want to show that sustainable changes are possible and that we can combine enjoyment with climate protection. I’m encouraged by how committed and goal-oriented our Climate Farms are in their approach.«

Claudia Willvonseder, Member of the Executive Board, Dr. Oetker

Did you know?

• It takes about 10 liters of milk to make 1 kilogram of cheese.
• Milk accounts for roughly 20% of our corporate carbon footprint.
• One liter of milk causes, on average, about 1 kg of CO₂e – more or less depending on how the cows are kept and fed. That means: the total greenhouse gases generated in producing 1 liter of milk have the same climate impact as 1 kg of CO₂.
• Feed accounts for up to 30% of the product carbon footprint of milk.
• Milk provides high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamins. The fat content is key for further processing – it determines whether the milk is best suited for making cheese or, for example, cream.
• In Germany, there are around 47,000 dairy farms – mostly family-run.

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