Demonstrating continuous improvement across the DSF

The DSF Annual Sustainability Progress was published at the DSF Annual Meeting this week. Covering environmental, economic and social sustainability through 11 Criteria and associated indicator metrics, this report provides an aggregate analysis of the sector’s performance for the 2024 calendar year reporting.

New for this year:

• With more than five years of data, the DSF can now provide time-series (trend line) reporting across all 11 Sustainability Criteria.
• A major update and enhanced GHG Emissions analysis, developed with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) using the GLEAM model and building on the previous dairy sector and GHG Emissions report published by FAO in 2019. Findings show that from 2005 to 2025, dairy cow milk production rose 53%, while improvements in Emissions Intensity limited the increase in total GHG emissions to 22%. Combining dairy cows and buffalo, milk production increased 60%, with total GHG emissions rising 31% over the same period.

Other highlights include:

• The DSF accounts for approximately 29% of global dairy cow and buffalo milk production which is equivalent to 52% or global formal milk production.
• The DSF Criteria prioritisation is stable for the 2024 reporting year with Animal Care retaining the "top spot", followed by GHG Emissions and Rural Economies.
• Levels of gender reporting for farms, employees and processing pant staff continues to provide a more accurate and gender focussed picture of the sector's employment contribution towards the value chain.

Download your copy of the 2024 calendar year reporting DSF Annual Sustainability Progress.  Also available in Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish with Hindi to follow.