Market driven demand for sustainable dairy products

This is a polarising topic, but to understand more my colleague Matt Dalley and I were privileged to recently host Charlotte Rutherford and Malcolm Ellis on our “Feed for Thought” podcast. Charlotte is Fonterra’s director of sustainability and Malcolm is a strategic advisor, whose role is focused on how farmers can deliver emissions intensity reductions on farm.

Charlotte shed light on the pivotal role sustainability continues to have on the demand for NZ dairy products, evolving from primarily effluent compliance to encompassing a broader spectrum of environmental considerations. “This evolution is testament to the integral role that sustainability now plays in Fonterra’s overall strategy,” she said. Market driven demand for sustainably produced dairy products is outpacing traditional environmental compliance.

Charlotte pointed out that customers and financial markets are driving the push towards sustainable practices, and the industry, including Fonterra and its farmer owners, is aligning with these market trends.

Malcolm’s role centres around providing farmers with actionable strategies they can apply to achieve the industry’s emission reduction targets. As an example, improving reproductive performance and using this to drive herd performance and feed conversion efficiency can have a significant impact on lowering GHG emissions intensity.

Malcolm highlighted that farmers have been focused on achieving efficiency gains for generations, but the reason why has never been stronger than it is today. As a fourth-generation farmer himself, Malcolm believes having options to achieve emissions targets beyond just reducing stocking rate is critical to the future success of the dairy industry.

Both Charlotte and Malcolm addressed the industry’s commitment to meeting the increasing market demands for sustainable dairy products and the importance of embracing sustainable practices at the grassroots level.

Charlotte’s perspective underscored the strategic importance of acknowledging and meeting the market demands for sustainability, as evidenced by Fonterra’s recent climate roadmap and Scope Three targets. These initiatives demonstrate the industry’s proactive response to the evolving market landscape and the commitment to addressing climate-related challenges.

Malcolm’s insights into practical strategies to drive on farm efficiency gains provide optimism that farmers can continue to drive productivity gains and reduce emission intensity.

Listening to Charlotte and Malcolm it becomes resoundingly clear that the market is steering the industry towards embracing sustainable practices, signalling a pivotal moment for dairy producers and stakeholders to adapt and thrive. The conversation with Charlotte and Malcolm serves as a compelling call to action for the industry to proactively align with the market’s increasing demand for sustainable dairy products.

To listen to the full conversation with Charlotte and Malcolm, search Feed for Thought on all major podcast platforms.

Wade Bell is Genetic Technologies farm systems manager. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..