Partnership looks to put sustainability at the heart of the dairy industry

The Future Dairy Partnership is aiming to unite the dairy industry to accelerate reduction of emissions, farm in harmony with nature and commit to higher animal welfare standards.

With climate change already impacting food production in the UK, uncertainty regarding the future of the dairy industry is leading to a reduced supply of milk and has the potential to effect food security. 

To tackle these issues, Tesco, Arla and Müller have pledged to bring together organisations from across the dairy industry to reduce on-farm emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.

The uniting of  Arla and Müller, both of which have a strong presence in Shropshire,  means all 400 of Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) farmers across the UK will be part of the initiative. 

The suppliers and retailer are also broadening the partnership by reaching out to other organisations across the dairy industry for input and support.

Ashwin Prasad, Chief Commercial Officer at Tesco said: “We’ve been playing a leading role in transitioning to a low carbon agriculture sector for some time, through the close long-term partnerships we have with our Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group farmers. 

"The group has pioneered groundbreaking work on a number of areas, including animal welfare improvements, carbon foot-printing and introducing innovations such as methane reducing additives.

 “What’s clear is that to achieve our stretching climate and nature goals, we must work together as an industry to implement transformational improvements at pace, so we’re delighted to be partnering with Arla and Muller on this project. It’s critical we continue to ensure farmers play a pivotal role in this work, and we look forward to working with them as the work of the partnership is established.”

Building on the foundation of the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group, the established Arla and Muller milk pool which supplies Tesco, the partnership will see the two milk processors working together to innovate, share learnings and collaborate to go faster in reducing emissions. The Future Dairy Partnership will drive progress across several key areas, including innovation, industry reports and a sustainable dairy blueprint., a document which will provide farmers with clear guidelines on sustainability targets and ethical practices, whilst ensuring farmers and processors have the flexibility to select the methods that best suit their operations and still meet these targets.

Bas Padberg, managing director at Arla Foods UK, said: “The UK dairy industry puts natural, nutritious food on the table for millions of people every day. But we also know that we must accelerate our action to address the ongoing challenges that the climate emergency presents to our food system.

 “We can do more together than we can alone and with real collaboration we can drive a transformation. That’s why through Arla’s initiation of the partnership, Arla and Tesco welcome the rest of the dairy industry to join us on this journey. With all our major fresh milk supply customers already on the Arla FarmAhead™ Customer Partnership, we are now in a strong position to lead the change that is needed, together with our farmer owners. The time is now to unite, invest, and make a lasting impact for generations to come.”

 Rob Hutchison, chief executive of Müller Milk & Ingredients, said: “We know our customers and consumers expect us to play a role in driving positive environmental changes within the dairy industry, and our commitment to this is underlined by our ambition to reduce emissions from our supplying farms by 30 per cent by 2030. We’re delighted to work together with Tesco and Arla on initiatives like the Future dairy partnership which are key in helping us achieve our goal of creating a better dairy future.”