Tesco and its milk suppliers Arla and Müller UK & Ireland have joined forces to launch a farmer-led partnership which aims to put sustainability at the heart of the dairy industry.

The launch of the Future Dairy Partnership marks a step towards uniting the dairy industry to accelerate reduction of emissions, farm in harmony with nature and commit to higher animal welfare standards.

With climate change already impacting food production in the UK, uncertainty regarding the future of the dairy industry is leading to a reduced supply of milk and has the potential to effect food security. To tackle these issues, Tesco, Arla and Müller have pledged to bring together organisations from across the dairy industry to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030.

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With both Arla and Müller uniting in the partnership, all 400 of Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) 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.

Chief commercial officer at Tesco, Ashwin Prasad said: “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 Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group 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.

“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.”

Farmers that supply Tesco are being consulted on the programme and will be key in creating the programme roadmap.

Arla farmer Will Hosford and Muller farmer and joint chair of the TSDG Dave Jones said: “As farmers, we are custodians of the countryside and our animals, and want to leave our farms in a better place for future generations. 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. 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. 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 partnership will see the two milk processors working together to innovate, share learnings and collaborate to go faster in reducing emissions.

The Future Dairy Partnership will drive progress across several key areas, including:

• 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.