GREEN BAY, Wis. — Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and Farmers for Sustainable Food announced today the launch of EmPower+, a program that connects farmer-led innovation directly to environmental goals of the dairy value chain.
EmPower+ offers data support services and a portfolio of production efficiency solutions designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The program pairs on-farm innovation with a robust accounting methodology to measure, report and verify emission reductions at the farm level.
This farmer-led, data-driven initiative creates a practical, transparent path for verified emission reductions to be embedded directly into milk procurement, creating new opportunities to recognize and reward measurable environmental performance across the dairy value chain.
“Dairy farmers have a long history of innovation and environmental stewardship and are ready to lead the next generation of solutions,” said Tim Trotter, CEO of Edge and its affiliate Farmers for Sustainable Food, which will administer the program.
“Through EmPower+ we are building a collaborative, industry-aligned effort to promote and support farmer-led solutions to meet today’s environmental challenges,” Trotter said. “For too long, sustainability programs have taken a one-size-fits-all approach. But dairy farms are complex ecosystems — lasting progress requires looking at the whole picture, from cow care and nutrition to crop production and manure management. Our goal is to give farmers the tools and metrics they need to deliver verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for the industry.”
The development of this transparent, whole-farm, outcomes-based model positions dairy farmers as leaders in sustainable agriculture by aligning the interests of farmers, processors and food companies. Built on credible data, third-party verification and full-farm GHG performance metrics, in alignment with the global GHG Protocol, the program establishes a foundation for shared value and accountability across the entire value chain.
EmPower+ is a multi-stage program grounded in trusted data collection. Farms participating with their processors are supported in creating a comprehensive data stream with protected information to both the farmer and the processor. Farms can choose to participate independently. In both cases farmers and processors can use the program to meet their business goals:
- Farmers are empowered to understand how their management practices impact their footprint to make informed decisions that improve efficiency and reduce emissions across the entire farm.
- Processors use the data to meet value chain reporting requirements and demonstrate measurable Scope 3 GHG reductions.
“Edge’s vision is to provide the programs farmers need to be the most successful and engaged in the market,” Trotter said. “The EmPower+ program is one more way we are stepping up to bring our members, and all dairy farmers, the tools they need to compete in an ever-changing marketplace.”
To learn more about EmPower+, visit www.edgedairy.com/empower.
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About Edge:
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative provides dairy farmers throughout the Midwest with a powerful voice — the voice of milk — in Congress, with customers and within our communities. Edge, based in Green Bay, Wis., is the second-largest dairy cooperative in the country based on milk volume. Member farms are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. More information: www.edgedairy.com.
About Farmers for Sustainable Food:
Farmers for Sustainable Food is a collaborative, industry-supported effort to promote and support farmer-led solutions to today’s environmental challenges. The nonprofit organization empowers farmers to develop and implement practical, innovative solutions for environmental, economic and social good. More information: www.farmersforsustainablefood.com.
