More than 40 large-scale “mega-dairies” are now operating across the UK, with the largest housing around 2,600 cows, according to a new report from The Wildlife Trusts that calls for tighter environmental oversight of intensive dairy farming.
The report, “Doing Dairy Differently,” argues that the expansion of larger and more intensive dairy systems is increasing pressure on land, water and natural ecosystems. The Wildlife Trusts says large dairy and beef farms currently do not face the same government monitoring requirements as intensive pig and poultry units.
The organisation also reports that the number of UK farms keeping cattle indoors throughout the year has more than doubled over the past decade. According to the report, this has increased the volume of slurry requiring storage and management, while infrastructure has not kept pace.
Analysis by The Wildlife Trusts of recent Environment Agency data found that dairy activity accounted for 71% of serious agricultural pollution incidents in England, with pollution affecting rivers and contributing to algal blooms, reduced oxygen levels and impacts on wildlife.
The report also examines the economics of dairy production through its Maximum Sustainable Output (MSO) analysis, which considers the level of production a farm can sustain profitably. The Wildlife Trusts says the analysis indicates that lower-input systems incorporating well-managed grazing, healthy soils and appropriate slurry management can reduce environmental pressures and reliance on artificial fertiliser and concentrated feed.
The organisation is calling for stronger regulation of the highest-risk dairy systems, including environmental permitting for very large housed units and farms with little or no grazing. It also recommends greater investment in slurry-storage and pollution-prevention infrastructure.
Other recommendations include expanding farm advisory services and farmer-to-farmer learning, as well as stronger support for organic and regenerative dairy systems through government agri-environment programmes and supply-chain mechanisms.
The Wildlife Trusts says the objective should be to develop a dairy sector that combines farmer livelihoods with environmental resilience, rather than measuring sector performance solely by production volumes.
However, farming representatives have challenged the suggestion that farm size itself determines environmental performance. The National Farmers' Union response, reported by Farmers Weekly, said farm size alone is not a reliable indicator of environmental outcomes.
The debate highlights a wider question for the UK dairy sector: how can productivity, farmer profitability, environmental regulation and nature restoration be balanced as farms respond to rising production costs and climate-related pressures?
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