Milking sustainability: Irish dairy farmers lead the way

Dairy farmers are dedicated to enhancing sustainability and producing dairy in the most environmentally ecient way possible, according to Zoe Kavanagh, Spokesperson for the European Milk Forum and CEO of the National Dairy Council.

Speaking at the recent European Milk Forum panel discussion, Kavanagh highlighted the strides made by Irish dairy farmers in delivering high-quality and nutritious products to consumers.

Joining Kavanagh were industry experts Dr. Deirdre Hennessy, Denis Fagan (a dairy farmer), and omas Ryan (Head of Agri-Sustainability & Customer Engagement at Tirlán the Kilkenny headquartered dairy co-op). Together, they shed light on the ongoing e orts within the Irish dairy industry to address climate change and secure its future sustainability.

Kavanagh, speaking at Bloom 2023, said that dairy farmers across Ireland are committed to safeguarding the land for future generations. She highlighted the importance of Irish dairy’s long history and the responsibility farmers feel as caretakers of the land, adding, “What’s crucial to bear in mind is that farmers need to balance implementing the latest in sustainable initiatives while still continuing to ful l their role as food producers in an economically viable manner.

“Dairy brings signi cant economic bene ts to regional the medtech, digital health and biopharma sectors in Ireland, employing over 100,000 people and making a global impact with exports exceeding €120 billion. e Irish digital health sector prioritises research and development (R&D), with a focus on upskilling in areas such as product design, coding and arti cial intelligence.

Dave Flynn, Director of Business Networks, Skillnet Ireland, said: “Ireland is recognised internationally as a centre of excellence for life sciences due to the availability of its highly skilled, adaptable, and mobile workforce.”