Farmers, retailers, wholesalers and processors unite to chart a new era of sustainable dairy

The Dairy Roadmap ensures farmers have an equal voice working alongside major retailers, foodservice and wholesale organisations and processors to meet key climate, nature and water goals, whilst upholding high standards of animal welfare. 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 farm gate right through to the kitchen table.

The changes see the dairy value chain operate under one governance structure, with a new Steering Group established. The Group, comprised of AHDB, Dairy UK, NFU, Arla Foods UK, Dale Farm, First Milk, Lactalis UK & Ireland, Müller UK & Ireland, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, McDonald’s and Sysco GB, will work as one to collectively set the strategic direction of the Dairy Roadmap.

The Dairy Roadmap will 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.

Bas Padberg, the new chair of the Dairy Roadmap and Managing Director of Arla Foods UK commented: “We have to find ways of feeding a growing population and providing nutrient-dense foods that nourish people. 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 industry 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. 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.”

Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK, says: “This new collaboration is a major milestone for the Dairy Roadmap. We’re so excited to see to see the initiative evolving to meet the challenges of the future—uniting the value chain to move forward as one in reaching Net Zero, while protecting and enhancing nature along the way.

“The Dairy Roadmap is one of the longest standing sustainability initiatives in the food sector, beginning in 2008 and with nearly 18 years of hard work and successes to its name, including impressive achievements by dairy processors on water, energy and waste reduction.”

“This new approach to meeting sustainability targets marks an ambitious new chapter for our sector”, comments AHDB Dairy Sector Council Chair and outgoing Roadmap Chair Lyndon Edwards, who will hand over the role to Bas Padberg of Arla Foods.

“Through this commitment and collaborative effort, we are rising to the challenge of securing a profitable, resilient and sustainable future for the UK dairy industry.”

Paul Tompkins, NFU National Dairy Board Chair, adds: “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.”

In the coming months, dairy farmers and other industry stakeholders across the UK will be invited to help shape the independent Sustainable Pathways Report. For more information on The Dairy Roadmap, visit https://dairyroadmap.co.uk/

Notes to editors:

First launched in 2008, The Dairy Roadmap aims to improve the environmental footprint of the entire dairy supply chain and foster continuous progress across the industry. The initiative sets goals and targets in areas including on-farm emissions, energy efficiency, water usage and waste management. It also supports the global goal to limit warming to 1.5ºC, pledging zero contributions from the dairy sector towards global warming by 2050.

Through the initiative to date, the Dairy Roadmap has seen:

• 80% of farmers calculating their carbon footprint[1]
• 65% of dairy managed farmland become part of environmental schemes
• 40% of energy on farm come from renewable energy sources
• A 20% increase in the energy efficiency of dairy processors[2]
• A 17% decrease in energy-related carbon per kg[3]
• A 20% increase in water efficiency[4]

The Sustainable Pathways Report will be published in 2026 highlighting what is needed for the whole industry to reach its environmental targets, including a full economic impact assessment of any recommended measures or initiatives.

[1] Survey of Dairy UK members, January 2024 

[2] Dairy UK environmental benchmarking report

[3] Dairy UK environmental benchmarking report

[4] Dairy UK environmental benchmarking report