The Dairy Roadmap has launched a nationwide survey asking dairy farmers’ views on the issues facing the sector.

The study will run until 14 January and is open to all dairy farmers. Feedback will be used to set future sustainability targets.

Areas the research will cover include:

• Supporting net zero ambitions through practical, on-farm actions;
• Encouraging nature-positive farming and improved biodiversity;
• Reducing waste and emissions across the supply chain;
• Promoting economic resilience and fair value for farmers; and
• Strengthening the connection between sustainability and profitability.

This follows a series of farmer-led workshops, held nationwide during the autumn. The events were hosted by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and allowed agriculturalists to influence sustainability policy.

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Professor John Newbold, Professor of dairy nutrition at SRUC, said: “This is your industry and your future. We’ve listened through workshops and now we want every dairy farmer to have their say. This survey is a chance to influence where targets are set, how progress is measured and what support farmers need to stay resilient, sustainable and profitable.

The SRUC will write a ‘Sustainable Pathways’ report, assessing the options available to the industry. It will be published in two parts, summer 2026 and end-of-year 2026, and aims to demonstrate how the sector can work “constructively” with the UK government to implement environmental policy.

David Homer, a tenant farmer from Wiltshire, added: “Our industry has always been built on resilience, innovation and a deep-rooted commitment to producing high-quality food for the nation.

“But today, the challenges we face,  from shifting consumer expectations to environmental pressures and evolving market demands, require us to work more collaboratively and strategically than ever before.”