Tesco and its milk suppliers Arla and Müller UK & Ireland have joined forces to launch a farmer-led partnership aiming to put sustainability at the heart of the dairy industry.
The launch of the Future Dairy Partnership marked a significant step towards uniting the dairy industry to accelerate reduction of emissions, farm in harmony with nature, and commit to higher welfare standards, Tesco said.
Tesco, Arla and Müller have pledged to bring together organisations from across the dairy industry to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030.
All 400 of Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group farmers across the UK will be part of the initiative.
The suppliers and retailer are also broadening the partnership by reaching out to other organisations across the dairy industry for input and support.
“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 Müller on this project,” said Ashwin Prasad, chief commercial officer at Tesco.
“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.”
Read more: Dairy farmers warn government’s new contract legislation amendment is unfair
Farmers that supply Tesco are being consulted on the programme and will be key in creating the programme roadmap.
It will build on the foundation of the TSDG and see the two milk processors working together to innovate, share learnings and collaborate to go faster in reducing emissions.
“Through our longstanding relationship with Tesco, Arla and Muller, we have collaboratively set out standards to measure our carbon footprint, improve animal welfare and biodiversity on our farms,” said joint chairs of the TSDG, Arla Farmer Will Hosford and Müller farmer Dave Jones. “All whilst still producing highly nutritious food at an affordable cost.”
“We recognise that there is even more to be done and that will require additional effort and cost,” they added. “Through this partnership and collaboration with the industry, we can share our experiences and benefit wider farmers to secure a more sustainable future for dairy.”
The Future Dairy Partnership will include on-farm projects, such as the trial and rollout of methane-reducing feed additives, as well as exploring new levers through a dedicated farmer focus group. Additionally, the partnership will review how to upscale these innovations for adoption across the dairy industry.
Read more: Arla launches nationwide campaign to boost fresh dairy consumption
An industry-wide report will also 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.
A Sustainable Dairy Blueprint will be produced to provide farmers with clear guidelines on sustainability targets and ethical practices, while ensuring farmers and processors have the flexibility to select the methods that best suit their operations and still meet these targets.
“We can do more together than we can alone and with real collaboration we can drive a transformation,” said Bas Padberg, MD at Arla Foods UK. “That’s why through Arla’s initiation of the partnership, Arla and Tesco welcome the rest of the dairy industry to join us on this journey.
“We’re delighted to work together with Tesco and Arla on initiatives like the Future Dairy Partnership, which are key in helping us achieve our goal of creating a better dairy future,” said Rob Hutchison, CEO of Müller Milk & Ingredients.
No comments yet