FrieslandCamina has set ambitious sustainability targets (FrieslandCampina - Sustainability). Milk production at member dairy farms plays a key role in achieving these goals. One promising yet underexplored strategy is the use of moist and liquid co-products in dairy cow diets.Co-products are non-human consumable residuals created during the production of food and often contain valuable nutrients that can be utilized in livestock feed. Co-products are circular by nature and usually have a lower carbon footprint than other feed components. This makes co-products interesting not only from a nutritional perspective but also from a sustainability perspective. Duynie is fully engaged in the valorization of co-products and is partner in this project.

The objective of this internship is to evaluate the potential of moist and liquid co-products in dairy cow diets to improve the sustainability of milk production. You will start with a literature research and stakeholder interviews to clearly define the scope of liquid and moist co-products. You will use available data from member dairy farms to compare sustainability KPIs (Foqus Planet indicators) between farms that include co-products in their rations and farms that do not. This analysis will enable a detailed assessment of the sustainability opportunities of different co-products. You will identify both potential benefits and possible trade-offs, providing insight into how co-products influence multiple relevant indicators simultaneously. Economic aspects will also be included to assess the financial feasibility of their use. By integrating all results, you will determine which co-products are most suitable for specific types of dairy farms and estimate the potential sustainability gains that can be achieved through their scaled implementation.You will record your results in an internal report and share the most important conclusions with internal stakeholders.

You will

• Work with experts on farm sustainability and dairy nutrition from both Duynie and FrieslandCampina.
• Collect and analyze relevant farm data on liquid and moist co-products and other feed components and sustainability performance. 
• Compare sustainability performance of farms with co-products in their ration- versus farms without co-products.
• Evaluate the effects of including different co-products on sustainability indicators and costs.
• Identify the most relevant parameters for including co-products in diets favorable for sustainability
• Assess the consequences of the use of various co-products for the FrieslandCampina Foqus Planet rewarding.
• Identify farm types for which the use of co-products is a viable alternative. Ideally, (general) ration recommendations for the identified farm types can be made.
• Establish the potential sustainability gain if opportunities for co-products are put into practice.• Write an internal report on your findings and methods applied.• Share your findings with internal stakeholders.

What we ask

• MSc (WO) student in a relevant field (e.g. Animal Sciences, Sustainability)
• Available for 5 to 6 months · Strong data handling and data analysis skills
• Interest in dairy cow nutrition
• Interest in and knowledge of sustainability of dairy farming
• Current student with EU nationality or enrolled at a Dutch educational institute

What we offer

At FrieslandCampina you can be true to who you are and stay authentic while developing yourself. Who you are by nature is the starting point to us. We embrace each other’s differences, regardless of background and preferences. 

• An interesting, challenging and meaningful internship
• Opportunities for personal development · Professional supervision
• Working in a collaborative project between Duynie and FrieslandCampina
• Working in an enthusiastic team with extensive expertise on sustainable dairy farming 

If this appeals to you, we encourage you to apply!