Sustainability credentials emphasised at Dairy Roadmap launch in London
The 2015 Dairy Roadmap was launched this week at the Farmers Club in London. The report highlights the positive work done within the dairy industry to improve the carbon footprint.
Rob Harrison, chairman of the Dairy Roadmap and the NFU Dairy Board, said that by setting targets they were working towards improving sustainability and environmental credentials as well as reducing the impact that dairy farming had.
Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, said that it was important for the industry to communicate the UK’s “good sustainability credentials” in order to boost exports.
Dorset based dairy farmer Graham Birch believes that the Roadmap is a long-term project and predicts another “difficult year” in 2016. He said that, despite fuel and feed prices decreasing, he did not expect a “bonanza” year.
The updated and refreshed Dairy Roadmap highlights some of the real progress by dairy farmers, processors and retailers since its launch in 2008.
Key achievements:
• 77 per cent of dairy holdings are now implementing nutrient management plans. In addition to this, 69 per cent of these farmers are updating their management plan every year.
• Of the 43 large processing sites (those processing over 50 tonnes of milk a day) currently reporting into the Roadmap, 39 (91 per cent) have an EMS in place.
• Dairy farmers have met their 2015 target of 15 per cent renewable energy uptake.
• Currently only four per cent of ex-factory waste from large Dairy Roadmap sites is sent to landfill, this is compared to 32% in 2008. 14 large sites reported zero waste to landfill in 2014, a vast improvement from 2008 when no sites were doing this.
• 78 per cent of dairy farmers are currently taking action to reduce the GHG emissions on their farm-this is the highest percentage out of all farming sector
Chairman of the Dairy Roadmap and NFU dairy board chairman, Rob Harrison, said: “The progress that’s been made in our sector over the past seven years has been astounding and this new edition of the Dairy Roadmap clearly shows some of the excellent work being done across the supply chain.
“The whole supply chain is doing their bit to adhere to the programme of targets to help make the dairy supply chain more environmentally sustainable. Despite current challenges across our industry we are continuing to work towards a shared goal and this is a fantastic example of industry collaboration.
“We will challenge ourselves with relevant environmental targets for 2020 and 2025, such as implementing on-farm technology to help reduce emissions and an increase in biodiversity at processor sites. These will evolve and adapt, to ensure that the British dairy industry continues to work responsibly to mitigate its environmental impact to provide for a more sustainable future.”
Farming Minister George Eustice said: “Dairy farmers are a vital part of our £100 billion food and farming industry. There has been a lot of emphasis on short-term support but long-term resilience is crucial to ensure Britain’s dairy industry is well positioned to take advantage of new export markets and the growing demand for our high-quality dairy produce both at home and overseas.
“A key way for the industry to achieve this is by working together across the whole of the supply chain, so it is great to see this approach being taken with the Roadmap. Farmers, manufacturers and retailers are showing leadership and working to make the dairy sector sustainable and successful on a global scale”.
