A new report has revealed farmers are cutting their carbon footprint despite claims by activists they are polluting the planet.
The report reveals the dairy industry in the UK has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent.
It has also achieved a 24 percent improvement in water efficiency and an 18 percent improvement in energy efficiency.
The report by the industry body Dairy UK also found that the proportion of waste sent to landfill by the dairy sector has decreased from 35 percent to just 4 percent.
Dairy UK chairman Paul Vernon said: “The British dairy sector has reported a marked improvement in its environmental footprint- not only reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, waste, and other pollutants, but also improving the efficiency with which it consumes water, energy and other resources.”
Dairy UK alongside the National Farmers Union and the Agriculture, Horticulture & Development Board has set ambitious targets to improve sustainability.
George Eustice, minister of state for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the UK added: “The dairy industry has made great strides in reducing its environmental footprint and it is great to see their ongoing progress to further increase the sustainability of its vital industry.”
The UK dairy sector employs more than 70,000 people in the UK and accounts for an estimated £8.8bn in sales at wholesale.