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Driving progress on the environmental ambitions and commitments made by the UK dairy sector

FARMERS

PROCESSORS

TARGETS
BEST PRACTICE
PROGRESS
  • Improve the environmental footprint of the entire dairy supply chain.
  • Strive for environmental best practice, innovation, and compliance.
  • Maximise the social and economic benefits for the UK dairy sector from these improvements.
  • Support both the global goal to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, and the UK Government’s commitment to net zero.
FARMER TARGETS
PROCESSOR TARGETS
  • WATER – No serious pollution incidents, compliance with Farming Rules for Water, sustainable water usage and best treatment/use of wastewater including reuse where possible.
  • CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY – Limit global warming to 1.5oC. Zero contribution from the dairy sector towards global warming by 2050.
  • WASTE & RECYCLING – All non-natural waste to be reused or recycled, with zero waste to landfill.
  • SOILS – Farmers know and actively manage their soils, resulting in increased soil organic matter content, good NPK balance and living roots and ground cover whenever possible.
  • BIODIVERSITY – Improved biodiversity on dairy farms.
  • AIR QUALITY – Minimise emissions, dust and secondary particulates resulting from agricultural & processing activities to reduce wider environmental and human health impacts.
  • PACKAGING – eliminate unnecessary single use plastic, maximise recycled content, and improve recyclability, while minimising carbon impact.
ON THE FARM
AT THE FACTORY

65

OF DAIRY MANAGED FARMLAND

is now a part of environmental stewardship schemes.

40

OF ENERGY USED ON DAIRY FARMS

comes from renewable sources.

MORE THAN

80

OF DAIRY FARMERS

calculated their carbon footprint and are working to reduce their emissions.

REDUCED BY MORE THAN

30

DAYS

Average age at first calving since 2018.

Our achievements are carefully measured against our targets

20

INCREASE

in primary energy efficiency
(kWh/tonne)

17

DECREASE

in energy-related carbon per kg milk
(kg CO2/kg)

20

INCREASE

in water efficiency
(m3/tonne)

11

INCREASE

in raw effluent efficiency
(m3/tonne)

1.3

OF INPUTS

are lost as food waste

Our achievements are carefully measured against our targets