After almost two decades in operation, The Dairy Roadmap is taking a new direction to guide the dairy industry towards a more sustainable future.
The cross-sector dairy industry initiative, which was formed in 2008 to bring the industry together to drive improvements in sustainability, is looking to refresh as the challenge to hit environmental goals intensifies.
For the first time, farmers will work alongside processors, industry bodies, major retailers and foodservice outlets to “drive the change needed to hit key environmental goals”, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which is leading the charge.
A new steering group has been established to set the strategic direction of The Dairy Roadmap, comprising:
- AHDB
- Dairy UK
- NFU
- Arla Foods UK
- Dale Farm
- First Milk
- Lactalis UK & Ireland
- Müller UK & Ireland
- Tesco
- Sainsbury’s
- Morrisons
- McDonald’s
- Sysco GB
Together, the group have set about creating a new Sustainable Dairy Pathways Report, which will specifically address what is needed to achieve the dairy industry’s environmental ambitions and provide economic modelling.
A working group chaired by a dairy farmer will help compile the independent report, which is expected to outline exactly what is needed for the agriculture sector to achieve its own and the UK government’s sustainability goals.
Core areas of focus:
- Reducing environmental impact by demonstrating commitment to continual improvement, to help meet international environmental targets
- Protecting water and nature, and growing the existing biodiversity on farm, all while safeguarding animal welfare
- Helping to make the sector more resilient; acting now enables the sector to steer its own future. With threats of burdensome and costly regulation coming down the line, the sector is determined to act now to demonstrate how the industry can drive forward improvement.
Bas Padberg, chair of The Dairy Roadmap and managing director of Arla Foods UK, said: “We have to find ways of feeding a growing population and providing nutrient-rich 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.”
In 2008, the initiative’s focus was on setting targets to tackle the major environmental impacts of producing liquid milk. In 2011, it was expanded to include all dairy products. This is the latest iteration of the movement, bringing together more players across the different sectors of the value chain.
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