How does organic milk impact the environment?
Studies disagree, depending on the country and what is measured. A 2023 study of 3,074 French dairy farms found organic milk's carbon footprint was 19% lower than conventional milk, or 11% lower counting indirect land-use change. A 2024 study of 200 Norwegian farms also found lower emissions on organic farms, but organic farms used more land.
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In this article
Is organic milk better for the climate?
Two peer-reviewed studies we read point the same way on emissions, with a caveat on land.
What did the French study find?
Lambotte and colleagues (Journal of Environmental Management, 2023) used a dataset of 3,074 French dairy farms. They found the carbon footprint of organic milk was 19% lower than conventional milk without indirect land-use change (95% CI 10% to 28%), and 11% lower with it (95% CI 5% to 17%). Farm profitability was similar in both systems.
What did the Norwegian study find?
Hansen and colleagues (Agricultural and Food Science, 2024) compared 15 organic farms with matched conventional farms among 200 Norwegian dairy farms over three years. The conventional farms had higher emissions: 1.07 vs 0.8 kg CO2 per kg of energy-corrected milk. They also had higher nitrogen intensity (6.9 vs 5.0 kg N input per kg N output). But conventional farms used less land: 2.9 vs 3.6 m2 per 2.78 MJ of edible energy delivered.
What do the studies not tell us?
- They cover France and Norway only; other countries may differ.
- Results depend on what is counted, such as indirect land-use change, and on the unit used (per kg of milk, per unit of energy or per hectare).
- We did not open an official source that backs other claims about organic milk, such as effects on water, biodiversity or soil, so we make none here.
People also ask
Is organic milk better for the environment?
A French study of 3,074 farms found a 19% lower carbon footprint for organic milk (11% with indirect land-use change). A Norwegian study found lower emissions on organic farms too, but more land use.
Does organic milk use more land?
In the Norwegian study, organic farms used 3.6 m2 versus 2.9 m2 for conventional farms per 2.78 MJ of edible energy delivered.
Is organic dairy farming less profitable?
The French study found farm profitability was similar in organic and conventional systems. The Norwegian study found lower gross margins on conventional farms.
Sources
- Lambotte et al., Journal of Environmental Management 2023 (PubMed 36796194, abstract via Europe PMC), read 5 Nov 2026
- Hansen et al., Agricultural and Food Science 33: 56-73 (2024): Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Nitrogen Intensity, Gross Margin, and Land Use Occupation between Conventional and Organic Dairy Farms, read 5 Nov 2026
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