Following a summer that has tested dairy farms with extreme heat, weather pressures and the ongoing challenge of Bluetongue, the Sustainable Dairy Pathways: The Path to 2030 aims to set out how the UK can remain resilient and sustainable while continuing to provide affordable dairy products.

Commissioned by The Dairy Roadmap on behalf of the full value chain and authored by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the report is the first to bring together the dairy value chain behind a shared plan for the future. It builds on progress already achieved across the sector and identifies the priorities, investments and actions needed to accelerate environmental improvements by 2030.

The report’s central message is: the challenge is no longer knowing what to do, it is scaling the solutions that are already working.

It also highlights the progress already made, national inventory data shows on farm emissions per litre of milk have fallen by around 22 per cent since 1990, while methane emissions are nearly 14 per cent lower.

Industry data also shows greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 9 per cent in the past five years, while processors have reduced energy intensity by more than 30 per cent, cut water use by over 50 per cent per kg of milk and reduced waste sent to landfill from 24 per cent to less than 2 per cent.

Bas Padberg, chair of The Dairy Roadmap, said: “Sustainability is about securing the future of dairy farming, and now for the first time, the whole dairy value chain has come together behind a shared pathway to 2030.

“The report identifies the actions, investment and partnerships needed to build on the progress already made while continuing to provide nutritious food, support rural communities and contribute to UK food security.

“Most importantly, it shows that many of the solutions already exist. The priority now is scaling what works. We must always remember that dairy is at the heart of the nation’s diet, with 99.6 per cent of households having bought dairy produce in the last year. This independent report demonstrates that environmental improvement and efficient food production can go hand in hand.”

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

The report identifies four priorities for accelerating progress:

• Doing more of what works now by increasing uptake of proven practices.
• Investing in infrastructure and technologies that deliver measurable impact.
• Preparing for emerging innovations and future opportunities.
• Creating the policy, finance, data and advisory support needed to enable faster progress.

“What sets this report apart is that it represents a collective vision for the future of UK dairy. For the first time, the whole value chain has come together behind a practical pathway to 2030, bringing together existing evidence, recommendations and proven actions into a single plan for accelerating progress,” added David Homer, chair of the Sustainable Dairy Pathways Task and Finish Group.

The report outlines that UK dairy produces around 15 billion litres of milk every year, supports more than 50,000 on farm jobs and a further 22,500 jobs in dairy processing, and provides important, affordable sources of nutrition in households across the UK. This demonstrates how the sector has a vital role to play in delivering a low carbon, climate resilient and nature positive food system while maintaining food security.