Pictured on the Glanbia Ireland/Teagasc Signpost Living Proof Future Farm of Steven Fitzgerald, Aglish, Cappoquin, Waterford were (l to r) Glanbia Co-op Chairman John Murphy; Future Farmer Steven Fitzgerald; Thomas Ryan, Glanbia Ireland Senior Farm Sustainability Manager; with Steven’s children Ólan (2), Donagh (4) and Aodhán (5). Photo: Patrick Browne

Glanbia Ireland has launched an €18m annual Sustainability Action Payment for family farms

Glanbia Ireland has launched an €18 million annual Sustainability Action Payment as part of a three-year programme to assist our 5,000 milk suppliers as they continue to enhance the environmental and economic sustainability of their family farms.

Glanbia Ireland operates a world-class food supply chain with a strong focus on quality and sustainability. The programme is designed to assist dairy suppliers in reducing their carbon footprint, enhancing water quality and biodiversity and improving air quality and soil health in line with Glanbia Ireland’s sustainability strategy, Living Proof.

As part of this initiative, dairy suppliers will receive 0.5 cent per litre (cpl) (including VAT) through delivering specific sustainability actions. This will equate to almost €3,000 in 2022 for the average supplier. Across the lifetime of this three-year programme, over €54 million in total will be made available to family farms as they continue to adopt a range of actions.

The measures are closely aligned with the climate action measures identified in Teagasc’s emissions reduction Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) climate plan.

Glanbia Co-op Chairman John Murphy said: “Irish farmers are renowned for producing high quality dairy products with world leading natural credentials. Our farmers are proud of their family farms and want to protect them for the next generation.

“We all have a role to play in climate action, water and biodiversity protection and air quality enhancement. It is important that our family farms are assisted as they continue to enhance the environmental and economic sustainability of their farms.

“This initiative is designed to reward suppliers for adopting a series of measures identified as key to delivering on our comprehensive sustainability strategy, Living Proof. As part of this initiative, there is a strong framework of measures for farmers to implement with verifiable proof-points.”

As part of Living Proof, Glanbia Ireland, along with our family farms, has pledged to deliver a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with each litre of milk produced by 2030 and has signed up to the internationally-recognised Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). All of Glanbia Ireland’s dairy suppliers are accredited to the Bord Bia Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS).