Dairy Industry unveils new strategy
New "Pathway to Sustainable Dairy" outlines industry-wide goals to drive joined-up, measurable, and validated environmental, social, and economic metrics
Print3 July 2026
Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), the Ibec trade association representing the Irish dairy processing sector, has launched a new strategy, “Pathway to Sustainable Dairy,” developed by Dairy Sustainability Ireland.
The strategy outlines a clear, credible roadmap to secure the long-term viability of the sector, ensuring it remains a competitive, confidence-inspiring industry for the next generation of dairy farmers and producers.
The strategy, developed in deep consultation with processors, farmers, policymakers, regulators, and support agencies, was officially launched this morning by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.
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.
Crucially, the plan directly aligns with the forthcoming EU Presidency, the broader EU Livestock Strategy, and the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), cementing Irish dairy’s competitive edge on the European stage.
Core pillars of the sustainable pathway
In delivering farm-level impact, 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 widespread deployment of the world-leading Farming for Water action plans across the sector by 2028.
Operating at an unprecedented scale, this initiative will be supported by a network of at least 50 water quality advisors alongside 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 €35 million annual investment to incentivize sustainable farm-level practices, placing a vital emphasis on economic resilience to protect rural livelihoods.
Progress across all these metrics will be backed by transparent, science-based data capture systems with mandatory annual public reporting.
The launch coincides with a new progress update highlighting the strong momentum already achieved by the Irish dairy sector.
Recent data shows 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 €17.6 billion in total output across 17,000 farm families.
Speaking at the launch, Kevin Maher, representing Dairy Sustainability Ireland, 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.”
Dave Fitzgerald, Sustainability director at Ornua and Chair of the Dairy ESG Group, added: “This Pathway sets out a clear and credible direction for Irish dairy.
“It recognizes 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.”
Read more: Kerry Dairy Ireland rebrands as Kinisla, unveils €300m investment programme
© 2026, ShelfLife by Ryan Brennan
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