To compare the CO2 impact of cheese suppliers, you need to look at the full production chain: from milk production and animal feed to processing, packaging, and transportation. The biggest environmental gains are usually found in primary production, so the type of milk used and the farming method are the most important factors. In this article, we answer the most common questions about CO2 impact in cheese suppliers, so you can make informed decisions.
What factors determine the carbon footprint of cheese?
The carbon footprint of cheese is determined by five main factors: milk production, processing at the dairy, packaging, transportation, and land use. Milk production contributes by far the most to total emissions, accounting for the vast majority of a cheese product’s environmental impact.
Within milk production, the following elements play a role:
- Animal feed: Grass and locally grown feed have a lower impact than imported soy or concentrated feed.
- Manure management: How a farm handles manure determines the release of methane and nitrous oxide — two powerful greenhouse gases.
- Energy use at the dairy: Pasteurization, cooling, and aging all require energy. Suppliers that use renewable energy perform better here.
- Packaging: Plastic packaging has a different impact than cardboard or reusable materials.
- Transportation and logistics: Distance to the customer and the type of transport used significantly affect emissions.
A supplier that maps all these factors through a life cycle assessment (LCA) provides the most reliable basis for comparison. Always ask for a full product-specific CO2 calculation — not just a general sustainability statement.
Does goat cheese have a different CO2 impact than cow’s milk cheese?
Yes, there is a difference. Goat cheese generally has a lower carbon footprint per kilogram of product than cow’s milk cheese, mainly because goats convert feed more efficiently and produce less methane than cows. That makes goat cheese an interesting choice for anyone looking to reduce the environmental impact of dairy.
Goats are also well suited to more extensive grazing, thriving on less fertile land that isn’t suitable for crop farming. This reduces pressure on agricultural land and can contribute to a lower overall ecological footprint.
Keep in mind: the production method matters just as much as the type of animal. An intensive goat farm that relies heavily on concentrated feed can have higher emissions than an extensive dairy farm with full grass management. The origin of the feed, the scale of the operation, and the energy efficiency of processing ultimately determine the outcome.
What certifications show that a cheese supplier is sustainable?
Recognized certifications that support a cheese supplier’s sustainability credentials include ISO 14001 (environmental management system), the Beter Leven quality mark, organic certifications such as EKO or EU Organic, and specific labels for climate-neutral or CO2-offset production. No single certification covers every aspect, so combine multiple sources.
Here is an overview of the most relevant certifications for buyers and product developers:
- ISO 14001: Confirms that a company has an active environmental management system and continuously works to improve it.
- EU Organic / EKO: Guarantees organic production, which typically involves lower use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and more extensive livestock farming.
- Beter Leven (1 to 3 stars): Focuses primarily on animal welfare, but is linked to more extensive production systems that also offer environmental benefits.
- Carbon-neutral certification: Confirms that a company measures, reduces, and offsets its emissions. Always ask about the methodology behind the offsetting.
- FSSC 22000 or BRC: These are food safety certifications, but they also show that a supplier operates in a systematic and transparent way — a good indicator of the quality of their sustainability reporting.
Certifications are a useful starting point, but they are not full proof. Always ask for the underlying data and don’t rely solely on labels on the packaging.
How do you ask a cheese supplier for CO2 data?
Ask a cheese supplier specifically for a product-specific CO2 calculation based on a life cycle assessment (LCA), expressed in kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of product. Be clear about your request and specify which scope you want to include: production only, or also transportation and packaging.
Practical questions you can ask:
- Do you have an LCA or carbon footprint calculation available per product category?
- Which scope do you use: scope 1 (direct emissions), scope 2 (energy), and/or scope 3 (supply chain)?
- Has the calculation been validated by an independent third party?
- How often is the CO2 data updated?
- What reduction measures have you taken in recent years?
Suppliers that answer these questions clearly and openly show that sustainability is not just a marketing story — it’s an operational priority. Suppliers that stay vague or only refer to general company-level sustainability reports don’t provide a solid enough basis for serious comparison.
What are the pitfalls when comparing CO2 claims?
The biggest pitfall is comparing CO2 claims that are not based on the same methodology. One supplier may only count scope 1 and 2 emissions, while another includes the full supply chain including transportation and packaging. Without a shared calculation method, you’re comparing apples and oranges.
Other common pitfalls:
- Greenwashing through offsetting: A supplier that offsets its emissions through CO2 credits sometimes presents itself as climate-neutral, even though actual emissions haven’t been reduced. Always ask about the ratio between reduction and offsetting.
- Unclear system boundaries: Some calculations stop at the factory gate, while others include the retail and consumer phase. Make sure you know which boundaries were used.
- Outdated data: An LCA from 2019 doesn’t accurately reflect the current situation. Ask for the date of the most recent calculation.
- Averages versus product-specific data: An industry-wide average CO2 value says little about the specific product you’re buying. Ask for product-specific figures.
Ideally, use a fixed questionnaire or scorecard to evaluate all suppliers against the same criteria. This makes the comparison objective and repeatable.
How do you weigh CO2 impact alongside quality and delivery reliability?
CO2 impact is a relevant factor in supplier selection, but it needs to be weighed against quality, consistency, and delivery reliability. A sustainable supplier that can’t deliver consistently or offers uneven product quality solves one problem but creates another. Include sustainability as one of the criteria in a broader scorecard.
A practical approach is to use a weighted scorecard where you assign a weight to criteria such as quality consistency, delivery reliability, price, sustainability, and technical support — based on your organization’s priorities. In many industrial purchasing processes, quality consistency carries more weight than CO2 impact, but that doesn’t change the fact that sustainability is playing an increasingly prominent role in tenders and retail requirements.
Keep in mind that sustainability and quality don’t have to be at odds. Artisanal production, local sourcing, and attention to the production process often go hand in hand with both a lower environmental impact and higher product quality. Suppliers that invest in sustainability typically also invest in the continuity and quality of their production.
How DeJong Cheese helps with sustainable cheese purchasing decisions
As a family business with over thirty years of experience in goat cheese specialties, we take sustainability seriously — without compromising on quality or delivery reliability. We produce our Alphenaer goat cheeses in an artisanal way, with close attention to the entire production process from milk to finished product.
Here is what we offer buyers and product developers who factor in sustainability:
- Transparency about our production methods and the origin of our milk
- Goat cheese specialties with an inherently lower carbon footprint than many cow’s milk cheeses
- Consistent quality and reliable delivery, even at large volumes
- Flexibility in product development and custom solutions for retail and foodservice
- Personal accessibility: with us, you always know who you’re doing business with
Want to know how our goat cheese specialties fit your sustainability goals and product requirements? Get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to think along with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start building a sustainable purchasing policy for cheese?
Start by taking stock of your current cheese suppliers and ask each of them for a product-specific CO2 calculation. Put together a simple scorecard with criteria such as CO2 data availability, certifications, transportation distance, and production method. This gives you a baseline from which you can take targeted steps to improve and objectively compare suppliers.
What if a supplier can't provide LCA data — is that a dealbreaker?
Not necessarily, but it is an important signal. If a supplier doesn’t have LCA data available, you can ask whether they’re willing to have it drawn up or to work with industry averages as a temporary reference. Suppliers that are actively willing to take steps toward greater transparency show that sustainability is on their agenda. Suppliers that avoid the topic entirely deserve more critical attention.
Can I calculate the carbon footprint of a cheese product myself as a buyer?
You can make a rough estimate based on industry averages from databases such as Ecoinvent or the Agri-footprint database, but an accurate product-specific calculation requires data from the supplier themselves. For an initial comparison, using published benchmarks per cheese type — such as kg CO2e per kg of goat cheese versus cow’s milk cheese — is already valuable. For serious tenders, it’s always better to ask suppliers to provide their own validated figures.
What is the difference between CO2 reduction and CO2 offsetting, and why does it matter?
CO2 reduction means that a supplier lowers the actual emissions in their production process — for example, by switching to renewable energy or optimizing animal feed. CO2 offsetting means that emissions are neutralized elsewhere, through initiatives such as tree planting or wind energy programs, without reducing the supplier’s own emissions. For a structurally lower environmental impact, reduction at the source is far more valuable than offsetting. Always ask suppliers about the ratio between the two.
How often should I reassess the CO2 performance of my cheese suppliers?
An annual review is a good starting point, but at least once every two years is recommended. Production processes, energy sources, and transportation routes change, which can significantly affect the carbon footprint. Include the frequency of CO2 reporting as a criterion in your supplier contract, so you always have up-to-date data for your own sustainability reports.
Are there common mistakes when including CO2 requirements in a cheese tender?
A common mistake is including requirements that are too vague — such as ‘the supplier must be sustainable’ — without defining concrete measurement criteria or minimum thresholds. Another pitfall is only weighing certifications without asking for the underlying data, which makes greenwashing hard to detect. Make your requirements as specific as possible: for example, ask for an LCA expressed in kg CO2e per kg of product, validated by an independent party and no more than three years old.
Does choosing a local cheese supplier always mean a lower CO2 impact?
Not automatically. Transportation is a factor in the total carbon footprint, but primary production — especially milk production — has a much greater impact. A local supplier with an intensive production system and high use of concentrated feed can have higher total emissions than a foreign supplier with an extensive, pasture-based operation. Locality is a plus, but it should always be assessed in combination with the full production chain.
