CDFA RELEASES MANURE RECYCLING AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS TASK FORCE REPORT

Report documents multiple approaches to help California reach climate goals

Español

Sacramento, March 10, 2023 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has released the final report from the Manure Recycling and Innovative Products Task Force (MRIP). 

CDFA convened the task force in late 2021 with the goal of developing recommendations on how to recapture and enhance the nutrient value of dairy manure while supporting healthy soils, protecting water quality, and reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint in California. 

The workgroup was comprised of dairy farmers and other members of the dairy industry, representatives of academia, state and federal government agencies, and non-governmental organizations with interests in sustainable farming, water quality protection, and environmental justice.  

Recommendations for addressing nitrogen surplus are grouped into conventional strategies, compost strategies, denitrification and treatment, and nitrogen capture.

In close alignment with this effort, CDFA funded research conducted by the California Biomass Collaborative (CBC) at the University of California, Davis. The findings provide an overview of the amount and location of surplus nutrients within California’s dairy sector and evaluate selected manure treatment technologies capable of recovering manure nutrients in useful form or otherwise safely reducing surpluses.  

The CBC’s completed report, Manure Nutrient Recovery, Removal, and Reuse on California Dairies includes topics for additional research and development needed and suggestions for quantitative assessment of technologies. 

Looking ahead, the MRIP Task Force plans to continue its efforts in collaboration with CDFA to utilize its recommendations and monitor progress. 

-30-