Ireland, a country located in the golden milk belt of Western Europe, has become a leader in the global dairy industry with its unique natural environment and advanced policy support. Here, the mild climate, abundant rainfall and fertile soils combine to create an ideal environment for herbaceous farming, making Ireland a major producer and exporter of dairy products.
Nature's Bounty: Ireland's Green Cornerstone
Ireland has a well-developed livestock production, 80% of the land is used as pasture, and the agricultural development strategy is to take advantage of natural resources and actively develop livestock and related products, which not only means that more than a third of the year the pasture grows above the European average, but also means that Ireland's cattle can freely watch on the lush pastures for up to 240 days. This unique geographical and climatic condition underpins the high quality of Irish dairy products.
Grassland advantages in Ireland: Mild climatic conditions - 800-1200 mm of precipitation per year
Origin Green: The benchmark for sustainability
As early as 2012, in order to better protect the ecological environment and achieve the coordinated development of economy, environment and society, the Irish government officially formulated and promulgated the food sustainable development plan - Origin Green, which is a national food and beverage sustainable development project. The program covers the complete supply chain from farmers to food producers to foodservice and the retail sector, and aims to serve the environment and communities effectively through measurable sustainability goals. Bringing together every link in the dairy value chain (private sector, government agencies and farmers to food and beverage retail) through scientific monitoring and independent third-party audits to achieve transparency, traceability and sustainability.
The results are remarkable: a win-win situation for environmental protection and efficiency
After more than a decade of development, the Green Origin programme involves 61,000 farmers and more than 300 leading Irish food and drink companies, covering 90% of Ireland's food and drink exports and 70% of the country's retail sales.
The Green Origin project works with 61,000 farmers and over 300 leading Irish food and drink companies
More than 90% of Ireland's food and drink exporters are members of the Green Origins project
Since the implementation of the program, more than 20,000 dairy production carbon assessments have been completed on farms, and the results show that since 2013, members participating in the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) have significantly reduced their average carbon emissions, with an average SDAS carbon footprint of 0.91kg CO2e/kg FPCM, of which the top 10% The carbon footprint of the SDAS herd is 0.76Kg CO2e/Kg FPCM.
Green Agriculture: A Combination of Nature and Technology
Irish agriculture relies not only on natural conditions, but also on science and technology, which in turn further promotes innovation in the dairy industry. For example, by increasing the cultivation of white clover in pastures, the dependence on nitrogen fertilizers has been reduced, while the nutritional value and sustainability of the pasture have been improved.
In terms of dairy cow feeding, the appropriate dietary agents are selected to further reduce methane emissions of dairy cows, and more attention is paid to the development of organic dairy industry. This combination of nature and technology shows how Ireland can achieve the perfect balance of innovation and sustainability in the dairy sector.
Future outlook: continue to lead
The Irish dairy industry is not only an important pillar of its economy, but also a model of sustainable development. Through continuous innovation and improvement of sustainable development strategies, Irish Dairy is leading the global industry towards a greener, greener and more efficient future, and the Irish dairy industry will continue to bring reliable quality green dairy ingredients and dairy products to Chinese consumers.
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Graphic editor: Xiao Xinxin, Wang Yudong Responsible editor: Wang Jing