The industry-wide Dairy Roadmap has announced a “first-of-its-kind” expansion of its reach across the entire dairy value chain, with a new upstream focus on both retailers and foodservice operators.
The scheme, launched in 2008 in a bid to improve sustainability within the dairy sector, has created a new governance structure, via a steering group comprised of AHDB, Dairy UK, the NFU, Arla Foods UK, Dale Farm, First Milk, Lactalis UK & Ireland, Müller UK & Ireland, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, McDonald’s and Sysco GB.
This new coalition with leading food companies meant the entire supply chain now had an “equal voice” in the creation of a new strategy to further the sector’s sustainability goals, said incoming Roadmap chair and Arla Foods UK MD Bas Padberg.
Under the Roadmap, the dairy sector has already seen significant improvements, with some 80% of the UK’s dairy farmers now calculating their carbon footprint, some 65% of dairy-managed farmland part of environmental schemes and 40% of energy on farms now derived from renewable energy sources.
However, the industry remains in the spotlight over its impact on the environment. The independent Climate Change Committee is an ongoing critic, having called for a halving of consumption of meat and dairy by 2050.
“The new coalition will drive collaboration and for the first time ensure shared responsibility for environmental progress at every step of the supply chain, from the farmgate right through to the kitchen table,” the Roadmap steering group said.
They will now oversee the creation of a new Sustainable Dairy Pathways Report. Independently conducted, it will highlight the funding and innovations needed to reach net zero and other key sustainability goals. The report will be published in 2026, with the entire industry invited to contribute into the report.
“We have to find ways of feeding a growing population and providing nutrient-dense foods that nourish people,” Padberg said. “Dairy has a key role to play in this, but we know that as an industry, we also need to ensure that we limit our impact on the environment and bring down emissions.”
Collaborating across the dairy sector “and with the biggest retailers and foodservice partners shows the commitment that we have in our sector to create a more resilient and sustainable future for our food”, he added. “As a natural source of nutrition, the future for dairy is bright and I look forward to steering the collaborative effort that will drive real change.”
Paul Tompkins, NFU national dairy board chair, said: “For many years, the Dairy Roadmap has served as a valuable platform to highlight continuous improvement in our sector. As customer and regulatory expectations continue to evolve, it is clear that the entire sector must rise to this growing challenge in order to maintain our valued place in baskets.
“The costs and complexities of compliance are significant, and dairy farmers cannot meet them alone. We are pleased to be embarking on a refreshed, collaborative approach to driving environmental performance.”
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