Dairy Roadmap sets out pathway for a sustainable and resilient sector

The Dairy Roadmap Sustainable Dairy Pathways report sets out the requirements between now and 2030 to keep UK dairy farming and milk processing productive, profitable and resilient while continuing to improve its environmental impact.

It focuses on proven actions, targeted investment and shared responsibility across the dairy supply chain, while highlighting the importance of a supportive regulatory and investment environment to enable farmers to deliver further progress.

Farmers remain central to the sustainability challenge and the report reinforces what NFU members will already know – the need for farmers to have clear and consistent policy, fair returns and access to investment if dairy businesses are to make the changes required.

The report highlights the significant environmental progress UK dairy has already made, with greenhouse gas emissions per litre of milk produced reducing by 22% since 1990, alongside improvements in soil health, manure management, fertilisers and animal health and welfare.

The challenge now is to continue building on this progress and accelerate improvement. 

This will require action across the supply chain, with the report calling on the government to support further change through effective policy, regulatory certainty and targeted investment.

Slurry management and storage is identified as a particular priority, with investment in infrastructure offering benefits for greenhouse gas emissions as well as air and water quality.

The NFU will continue to press for the conditions dairy farmers need to invest and make further environmental improvements. This includes:

• Long-term, stable support for environmental infrastructure.
• Fair dealings across the supply chain to ensure stability and confidence to invest.
• Practical, farmer led measurement and implementation.
• Policy and regulatory certainty that supports dairy businesses.
• Investment in skills, advice and knowledge transfer.

The UK dairy industry delivers 15 billion litres of milk per year, provides 70,000 jobs across dairy farming and milk processing and 85% of the dairy products that the UK consumes. 98% of British households purchase milk, so delivering the pathway to 2030 will ensure UK dairy remains productive, resilient and trusted, securing its role at the heart of UK food security.

Work is now udnerway on the roadmap to 2050, which will form the second part of the Sustainable Dairy Pathways report. 

Achieving the report’s ambitions will require action from across the sector.

For policymakers, this means: Recognising UK dairy’s progress and accelerating further improvements through aligned policy, investment, regulatory certainty and knowledge sharing.

For industry, this means: Collaborating to align expectations, unlock investment, reduce impacts, build skills and harmonise robust, practical data.

For farmers, this means: Building on existing progress by adopting proven practices that improve both business performance and environmental outcomes.