Müller UK & Ireland has launched Fast Track, a new programme targeted at decreasing carbon emissions from supplying farms using real-time data analysis.
Delivered in partnership with Kite Consulting and rolled out across 40 supplying farms, the project promised to play a key role in Müller’s Sustainability Action Plan ambition to decrease on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030, the dairy giant said.
Fast Track will run for three years and will see participating farms from across the UK use new ways of monitoring key data relating to production efficiency and sustainability “to help inform decision-making, and drive quick actions needed to meet emission reduction goals”.
Currently, most British farms monitor emissions through annual reporting based on the previous year’s data. Fast Track would enable participating farmers to access real-time data, giving them timely and more frequent monitoring of important KPIs.
Müller added the project aimed to use automated data integration from numerous sources including Feedlync, a cloud-based feed management system, to monitor the four key areas of feed efficiency, fertility, stock numbers and energy-corrected milk.
“We know on-farm emissions is one of our carbon hotspots and that’s why we’re working towards a target of 30% reduction in on-farm emissions by 2030,” said Müller Milk & Ingredients CEO Rob Hutchison.
“The Fast Track programme provides an opportunity to make a real difference and will play a key role in helping us achieve our 30% goal.
“By supporting farmers to take an integrated, data-driven approach, we can assist them in taking rapid and responsive action which tackles issues head-on and as they arise, meaning we’re no longer relying on historic and sometimes out-of-date data to make decisions.
“We know our customers and consumers expect us to take action to drive change, and that’s why we’re delighted to partner with Kite Consulting on this groundbreaking programme. We look forward to seeing Fast Track grow and move from success to success in the years to come.”
Return to Dairy UK fold
It comes as Müller has also announced it has rejoined industry body Dairy UK, some four-and-a-half years after it ended its membership over its high cost in 2020.
Müller said its return to the Dairy UK fold aimed to “foster greater collaboration and leadership across the British dairy sector”.
“As the UK dairy industry faces into a wide range of challenges and opportunities, cross-industry collaboration and collective action will be key to promoting and protecting the consumption of UK dairy products, benefiting the entire supply chain,” it added.
“Our purpose is to deliver a better future for the British dairy industry and where possible, we want to come together as an industry to build a more resilient and sustainable future,” Hutchison added.
“The whole supply chain benefits if we can promote British dairy products both at home, and on the international stage, while ensuring sustainability is at the heart of the sector. So, for that reason, it makes perfect sense to join Dairy UK and we’re excited to get started.”
Commenting on Müller’s rejoining of the industry body, its CEO Judith Bryans said she was “delighted”.
The move marked a “significant step forward for industry collaboration”, she added. “This reflects the value of collective action in addressing the pressing challenges and opportunities facing the UK dairy sector today.”
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