UK dairy sector on track to meet environmental targets

Dairy UK has announced a new project to develop an industry-wide carbon footprinting guide after new figures from DEFRA showed that farmers and processors were on track to meet their environmental targets.

The new project will be co-developed with Carbon Trust, bringing together dairy companies and other industry stakeholders including the farming sector.

This project is a step forward and will give access to a single set of guidelines to farmers and major processors, said Dairy UK environment manager Fergus McReynolds.

He said with full Carbon Trust accreditation, the guideline will become the standard for the sector and win retailers' confidence.

DEFRA's figures showed that the industry is ahead of schedule in meeting its environmental targets, with 45 percent of land in the UK dairying now in environmental schemes, just short of the 50 percent target for 2010. Nearly 50 percent of dairy farmers now have nutrient management plans, well on the way to the 65 percent target.

Dairy UK's research shows processors have cut water use by 20 percent, energy use by 10 percent and raised waste recycling or re-use to 76 percent since 2006.