The UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, and its milk suppliers, Arla and Müller UK & Ireland, have combined to launch a farmer-led sustainability collaboration for the dairy industry: the Future Dairy Partnership.
The new initiative aims to unite the sector to accelerate carbon emission reductions, help encourage farming in harmony with nature, and boost animal welfare standards.
Tesco, Arla, and Müller have pledged to bring together organisations from across the dairy industry to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030. Together, they acknowledge climate change is already impacting food production in the UK, while uncertainty regarding the future of the industry is leading to a reduced supply of milk which has the potential to effect food security.
Arla and Müller uniting in the Future Dairy Partnership means all 400 of Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) farmers across the UK are involved in the initiative from the outset. The suppliers and retailer are also looking to connect with other organisations across the dairy industry for input and support.
Ashwin Prasad, chief commercial officer at Tesco, remarked: “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 TSDG 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.”
He added: “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.”
Tesco said farmers that supply the retailer are being consulted on the programme and will play a key role in creating the programme roadmap.
Will Hosford, Arla farmer, and Dave Jones, Müller farmer and co-chair of the TSDG, made a joint statement about the Future Dairy Partnership.
“As farmers, we are custodians of the countryside and our animals, and want to leave our farms in a better place for future generations,” they commented.
“Through our longstanding relationship with Tesco, Arla, and Müller, we have collaboratively set out standards to measure our carbon footprint, improve animal welfare and biodiversity on our farms. All whilst still producing highly nutritious food at an affordable cost.”
They added: “We recognise that there is even more to be done and that will require additional effort and cost.”
Promises of the Future Dairy Partnership
- Innovation: The partnership will include on farm projects, such as the trial and roll-out of methane-reducing feed additives, as well as exploring new levers through a dedicated farmer focus group, who will test nature-led initiatives alongside reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, the partnership will review how to up-scale these innovations for adoption across the UK dairy industry.
- Industry reports: An industry-wide report will be produced that highlights the pathway to more sustainable dairy and the innovation and financial support needed across the agriculture sector to achieve this ambition.
- Sustainable Dairy Blueprint: This document 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: “We can do more together than we can alone and with real collaboration we can drive a transformation.”
Rob Hutchison, chief executive of Müller milk & ingredients, noted that initiatives such as the Future Dairy partnership “are key in helping us achieve our goal of creating a better dairy future”.
Read more about more sustainable farming on Green Retail World
[image credit: Green Retail World]
