Dairy Industry Ireland unveils new sustainability strategy

Kevin Maher, Dairy Sustainability Ireland at Ibec; Dave Fitzgerald, chair of the Dairy ESG Group and sustainability director at Ornua; agriculture minister Martin Heydon; Michael Harte, Dairy Industry Ireland chairman and chief executive of Dairygold Co-Operative Society at the Ibec Guide to Sustainable Dairy Launch

A new sustainability strategy for the dairy industry has been launched in an effort to secure long-term viability, competitiveness and confidence in the sector.

Dairy Industry Ireland, the Ibec trade association representing the Irish dairy processing sector, has launched a new strategy, 'Pathway to Sustainable Dairy'.

Dairy Sustainability Ireland developed the new strategy and outlines a roadmap to improve viability, confidence, and competitiveness in the industry for the next generation of dairy farmers and producers.

The strategy was developed in consultation with processors, farmers, policy makers, regulators an support agencies.

The pathway identifies increased investment, enhanced water quality action, and targeted emissions mitigation as core priorities to safeguard Ireland’s unique grass-based, family farm production system.

The plan directly aligns with Ireland's EU presidency, the broader EU Livestock Strategy, and the new Common Agricultural Policy, cementing Irish dairy’s competitive edge on the European stage.

The strategy commits to lowering 2030 farm emissions by 25%, and processor emissions by 35% relative to 2018 baselines.

This environmental mitigation will be paired with the deployment of the ‘Farming for Water’ action plans across the sector by 2028. This initiative will be supported by a network of at least 50 water quality advisers, along with 2,000 annual farm-level assessments.

On-farm innovation and animal care will also see a significant boost through the expanded use of genotyping and sexed semen, with a target of reaching a 75% milk recording rate across herds by 2027.

To ensure these practices are financially viable to adopt, processors will provide an ongoing €35m annual investment to incentivise sustainable farm-level practices, placing a vital emphasis on economic resilience to protect rural livelihoods. 

Progress across all these metrics will be backed by science-based data capture systems with mandatory annual public reporting.

The launch coincides with recent data showing a 9% reduction in farm-level emissions intensity on a rolling three-year basis against a 2014-2016 baseline, alongside a 3% drop in processing emissions, even during a period of 20% volume growth.

Currently, Ireland maintains the highest water quality among major European dairy producers. The sector continues to be a cornerstone of the regional economy, supporting 54,000 full-time jobs and generating €17.6bn in total output across 17,000 farm families.

Speaking at the launch, representing Dairy Sustainability Ireland, Kevin Maher, said: "The dairy sector is committed to accelerating the sustainability progress made to date through a focus on delivering measurable impacts across clearly identified priority areas.

This aligns with the direction of the National Climate Action Plan and marketplace requirements, as leading customers commit to more sustainable value chains. Delivering on this will require significant effort by all stakeholders, and transparency is central to this document, with a commitment to report annually."

Sustainability director at Ornua and chair of the Dairy ESG Group, Dave Fitzgerald, added: "This pathway sets out a clear and credible direction for Irish dairy. It recognises that environmental progress and economic sustainability must move together — protecting farm viability, meeting customer expectations, and giving the next generation of farmers confidence that dairy offers a viable and rewarding future. The focus now is on disciplined delivery."