The Future of Dairy in the UK Cultivating a more resilient future for the UK dairy industry Overview The Future of Dairy project aims to create a more resilient and regenerative UK dairy industry. We are bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, including farmers, environmental groups, industry professionals, and communities. Together, we hope to address the financial, environmental, and social challenges facing the industry. Through collaborative workshops, interviews, and pilot projects, we aim to foster a national conversation about how the industry is evolving and promote a vision for a thriving future. Starting in Devon, the project will explore payment for ecosystem and social services. It is hoped that by better connecting farms back into the community we will see a broad range of positive impacts at farm level, and beyond. The challenge The UK dairy industry has a deep connection to rural communities. It has been a fixture of the countryside for generations. However, the current dairy system is under increasing pressure. For many years it has faced tightening margins, accelerating environmental pressures, and a changing relationship with citizens. The industry is changing too. Farmers are going out of business at record rates, and power is being consolidated by a small number of players. Many of the current solutions only address individual issues, rather than taking a joined-up and systemic approach, leading to cycles of repeated and costly actions. This project seeks to cultivate a future where the dairy industry can thrive in the face of change, and where successive bouts of volatility don’t threaten the livelihoods of the people within it. Our approach Forum for the Future is running a collaborative multi-stakeholder action-research project, from June 2024 until June 2025, to support the UK dairy sector in achieving a regenerative and resilient future. The Future of Dairy project is designed to foster a systemic approach to tackle issues faced by the dairy industry in the UK. Rather than focusing on isolated issues, we aim to build action across environmental, economic, and social outcomes. Our work begins with a place-based approach, starting in Devon, where we will conduct in-depth analyses through interviews, desk research, and collaborative workshops. We will be joined by farmers, local government and businesses, and by the community. Central to the first stage of work is an exploration of payment for ecosystem services. We hope to understand the steps needed to establish this as a new revenue stream for dairy farms, while improving environmental outcomes and connections into communities. By understanding the local challenges and opportunities, we can develop ideas and actions that are not only effective at a local level but scalable to the national stage. We will also connect into the work happening on a national level through conversations with stakeholders across the country, such as at conferences, and through media and publications. How to get involved If you want to help shape this vision, either in Devon or nationally, please e-mail Mareyah Bhatti. Who’s involved? This project is made possible with thanks to The Betty Lawes Foundation. This project is part of the Growing our Future UK initiative Related links: Growing our Future UK and US Report: Supply Chain Synergies – What is the appropriate role of supply chains in achieving responsible production at farm level? , commissioned by the Oxford Farming Conference Report: Scaling regenerative agriculture in the UK: Accelerating change through collaboration Manage Cookie Preferences