Run, Don’t Walk
The dairy sector needs some championing right now – and there is a lot to champion. Irish dairy is produced in the most sustainable fashion compared to our global counterparts: the carbon ‘hoofprint’ of a litre of Irish milk stands at around 0.97kg CO2/e (carbon dioxide equivalent), in comparison to an average of 2kg elsewhere. Irish farmers are also educated and proactive – the implementation of world-leading technologies and innovative farming practices to improve efficiencies and climate efforts is evident on many farms today.
Nonetheless, the public perception of dairy farming is constantly in jeopardy and the need for continued improvements in sustainability is crucial.
Mark Keller joined the National Dairy Council (NDC) in a new role as Strategic Operations Director earlier this year. His career to date has seen him work with some of the world’s leading food and dairy organisations, including Mars and Dairygold. This experience is also matched with a sporting background: in the 1980s Mark won a scholarship to run competitively in the US and he ran for Ireland in the US World Cross Country Championships. “If I love something, I am passionate about it and invest a lot into it.” This dedication and competitive streak are, no doubt, a driving force in his decision to take up a role that will require a ‘run, not walk’ attitude, as we race to meet EU targets set out for farmers.
“After my time with Mars – where my interests in food and nutrition developed – I moved to Waterford Crystal where I was part of the rise and fall of the brand and learned a lot about business transformation projects and experiential marketing. Then, Dairygold came knocking. We had to build a high-performance team to deal with the post-quota growth spurt and support the processing of all that new milk coming to shareholders. I got to travel widely and witness first-hand how incredibly valuable Irish dairy is on a global scale.” After a hiatus from the food sector, where Mark worked with some start-ups in the renewable energy space, Mark met Zoe Kavanagh, CEO of the NDC: “Zoe presented the NDC as an agency working on behalf of the dairy industry in Ireland, supporting farmers with strong messaging, based on science, and advocating for a social license to produce dairy against a backdrop of climate challenges. The overall goal for me was to take all of my experience to date and bring this to the NDC to help ensure we are operating efficiently with the resources we have, while continuing to support and advocate for the dairy industry.” Some of the immediate goals, Mark explains, include bringing their nutritionist voice to the fore, as well as managing the delivery of the European School Milk Scheme to improve distribution and education, having been disrupted throughout Covid restrictions.
“We need to show farmers and farmer shareholders that the NDC is delivering on their behalf, efficiently, and building trust with consumers so they can make informed choices. Irish milk is such a nutritious, quality product and we must not lose sight of that – we take it for granted sometimes and we need to tell that story, as well as the commercial benefits for the economy.”
Climate Action – the Journey
Commenting on the climate challenges, Mark notes: “We are aware of the headwinds; we know we need to do better and farmers know they need to do better. There is a lot to be done. But we are on the journey already: in the last few months we have seen a significant reduction in fertiliser use, with farmers sowing clover and multispecies swards. And, by reducing the amount of nitrates and chemicals going into the ground and with the natural sequestration of nitrogen by clover, the risk of run-off is greatly reduced. Using the LESS system and targeted slurry spreading as opposed to blanket spreading is also helping. We are seeing a gradual improvement in water quality, soil health – but all of these things will take time. Our focus is on ‘Cow, Soil, Grass’ and with innovation across these core areas will result in continued improvements in this sustainability journey.”
But, with so much noise out there and conflicting messaging, how can the NDC cut through the myths to reveal the facts about the progress being made on the ground? “We need to give the microphone to our younger generation of farmers. They are the future and they are passionate about securing Ireland’s dairy sector for the coming generations, to sustain their local communities – the rural economy. In our Farmer Ambassador Programme we have young farmers who have a really positive story to tell. They are employing new technologies and applying the science to their own farms… and are witnessing the difference this is making. We want to allow them to tell their stories and show the public what they are doing.”
Trust Issues
But will people listen? According to Mark, trust is growing with the general public and they are educated and open to hearing about progress, based on the facts. “We are world leaders in terms of producing milk sustainably. But we need to build trust with consumers, as well as continuing to improve on our practices. Our consumer research in 2022 showed a significant decline in trust so we focused on how we could address this. In May this year we conducted consumer research with results showing a significant shift in consumer sentiment. We saw increase in trust, a core KPI for the NDC, jump by 45 per cent on the previous panel in Autumn 2022. Of course, the younger audience (25-44) remains somewhat sceptical, but they are questioning the source of negative messaging about dairy’s impact on the environment; not that they don’t believe dairy has had some impact (like most industries) but that Irish dairy farmers are doing more to protect the environment while producing the best quality milk in the world. A realisation of the nutritional and natural benefits of dairy, and the fact that we now have proof points when it comes to our progress on climate action, are helping to shape and inform. Young people want to see the facts – they don’t want any greenwashing – and they will make their purchasing decisions based on these. This is the NDC’s role – to advocate for the Irish dairy industry’s social licence to produce nutritious, healthy and sustainable products. There are still a lot of challenges, Mark adds, but he is confident it is going in the right direction.
Animal Welfare
Animal welfare is also a key factor for consumers when it comes to choosing dairy and the recent RTÉ Investigates report into animal welfare issues at marts and with live animal exports was an alarming insight that did little to assuage public concern. “What we saw was shocking and I wholeheartedly condemn any mistreatment of animals – it is completely unacceptable. But I do believe this is not representative of the vast majority of our dairy farmers. We must make sure we are facing forward and talking to the consumer about our production practices. We must be transparent and allow our farmers to tell their story. We need to keep moving forward and not be disheartened.
“Mother and calf welfare are priorities for the NDC and we need to ensure our ambassadors are doing things the right way. The fact that bull cows have less value is no surprise, but the treatment of these cows is no less important. RTÉ shone a light on what can happen if people don’t abide by the regulations and break the rules. We welcome the fact that the Department of Agriculture is carrying out a full investigation and welcome whatever recommendations come from that.”
The Future is Green
Concluding, Mark is positive about meeting the challenges that lie ahead and is excited to be involved in working with the industry and its farmers at this time of huge change. “At the end of the day, despite all of the challenges that we need to tackle, there are also huge opportunities. Dairy is an extremely valuable product in terms of nutrition and health and consumers are more aware of this today. Innovation is driving growth in the market and, on farms, continued efforts to tackle climate issues will ensure a sustainable future for the industry. The future for Ireland’s dairy producers is positive – not without challenges – but very positive.”