Hershey announces partnership to fund agricultural BMPs for dairy supply chain
Today, the Hershey Company, Land O'Lakes Inc., and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay announced a partnership to implement agricultural best management practices (BMPs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help maintain the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Initial funding for the partnership, named Sustainable Dairy PA comes The Hershey Company, which contributed $300,000 for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Land O'Lakes to install agricultural conservation practices on dairy farms associated with Land O’Lakes. The partnership includes 119 associated member-owners in Central Pennsylvania that ship 50% or more of their milk to Hershey.
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will use Hershey's contributions to gain additional grant funding for on-farm environmental practices. The solutions range from riparian buffer plantings that reduce stream bank erosion and improve habitat to animal waste storage systems and other sustainable farming practices to support a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.
"Leadership from corporations, like that of Hershey and Land O'Lakes, is critical to restoring Pennsylvania's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, and reaching our climate goals,” said Jenna Beckett, Pennsylvania state director and agriculture program director at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. “With so many passionate businesses in our watershed, we hope this partnership inspires others to take action towards a more sustainable future.”
The initiative began with dairy farmers in southern Pennsylvania, and is actively building a list of their conservation needs to guide the program's priorities. In addition to the initial 119 farms, the partnership could affect more than 400 other associated farms supplying milk to Hershey if support grows.
The initiative recognizes that dairy producers are important players in local watershed quality. The initiative was established to provide dairy farmers with resources to improve their impact on the environment. This allows farmers to continue producing their products while also contributing to the health of the Bay, its tributaries, and the planet.
