Kerry Dairy Ireland has achieved Gold Membership from Bord Bia for its 2024 Origin Green Annual Report, the highest level of recognition for sustainability performance. This award reflects strong progress and transparent reporting of verified actions across the full value chain, from farm to processing.
The achievement highlights the impact of Evolve Regendairy, Kerry Dairy Ireland’s regenerative agriculture programme designed to help farmers transition to lower-emission, more resilient practices without compromising quality or livelihoods. “This Gold Membership is a shared milestone for our milk suppliers, employees, and customers,” said Zita McCarthy, Senior Sustainability Manager, Kerry Dairy Ireland. “Through Evolve, we’re delivering real, science-based progress on climate and nature while safeguarding the quality and trust Irish dairy is known for.”
Driving Real Change on Farm
With over 93% of Kerry Dairy Ireland’s carbon footprint in Scope 3 (primarily on-farm), the company is taking responsibility where it matters most. Rather than relying on offsets, Evolve drives practical, on-the-ground change, reducing emissions, restoring ecosystems, and future-proofing supply from the ground up.
Evolve in Action:
- 140,000+ native trees and hedgerows planted
- 400+ farms with localised water quality plans
- 45% using protected urea to cut nitrous oxide emissions
- Farmers trained in soil, biodiversity, and climate (university-accredited)
- ~€4,500/year in sustainability incentives per participating farm
What Makes Evolve Different
Evolve financially rewards farmers for verified, science-based actions and builds on Ireland’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS), integrating the Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) to prioritise the most effective climate measures.
The programme focuses on five key areas: soil health, biodiversity, water quality, animal welfare, and farmer development, supported by data, training and verification systems.
Beyond the Farm: Broader Origin Green Achievements
Kerry Dairy Ireland’s Gold Membership also recognises progress across other key sustainability targets under Origin Green, ensuring a comprehensive approach to responsible business.
- Sustainable Raw Material Sourcing – Raw materials sourced using responsible sourcing standards, with supplier engagement programmes driving supply chain traceability and ethical production.
- Manufacturing Energy Targets – Year-on-year improvements in energy efficiency, with increased renewable electricity use and investments in heat recovery and low-carbon technologies across processing sites.
- Water Reduction in Operations – Reduction in water intensity through reuse, recovery, and efficiency projects, alongside enhanced monitoring systems to safeguard local catchments.
- Waste Reduction in Operations – 100% zero waste-to-landfill status maintenance, increased recycling on site, food waste reduction initiatives, by-product valorisation, and circular packaging initiatives.
- Employee Wellbeing – Expansion of health, safety, and wellbeing programmes, including mental health supports, health screening and awareness on sites, and ongoing professional development opportunities for all employees.
- Community Engagement – Active support and partnerships with local schools, charities, and community groups, contributing resources, expertise, and paid employee volunteering hours to create shared value in the regions where KDI operates.
- Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging – Enhanced training and policies to support an inclusive workplace, improved gender balance in leadership, and initiatives celebrating diversity of all kinds across the business.
- Sustainable Nutrition – Commitment to delivering sustainable nutrition through dairy, ensuring products provide trusted quality and nourishment while being produced with lower environmental impact. Kerry Dairy Ireland is aligning dairy’s natural nutritional value with its sustainability ambitions, so that consumers can choose dairy that is both good for them and working toward a better food system for the planet.
Global Recognition, Local Impact
Kerry Dairy Ireland is the first dairy processor globally to achieve Stage 5 verification under the Sustainable Dairy Partnership, confirming its leadership in transparent, outcome-driven sustainability. “Evolve offers customers a verified, regenerative supply base that strengthens resilience and supports climate and nature goals,” added McCarthy. “This is about more than compliance, it’s about building a sustainable food system together – one that delivers sustainable nutrition through sustainable dairy.”