The impact of climate

Climate change is fundamentally reshaping food, nutrition, and dairy systems, presenting a mounting array of challenges for producers.

Consumer demand for more sustainable choices

Consumers are increasingly attuned to sustainability and are actively seeking out more environmentally conscious options. In response, there is growing demand for greater transparency from the food industry.

Digital technologies transforming production

Technological advancements, such as automation and robotics, are revolutionizing both dairy farming and processing. These digital innovations hold the potential to enhance efficiency, boost productivity, and promote animal welfare.

Stakeholder pressures for greater sustainable alignment

Pressure from influential stakeholders, such as banks and retailers, are catalyzing significant shifts in producer behavior as these stakeholders actively seek partnerships with producers sharing their sustainability ethos.

Health & wellness – a consumer priority

Health and wellness are key priorities for consumers, particularly in higher-income countries. Consumers are increasingly looking for dairy products with added health benefits such as probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and reduced fat content.

Research & Development is shaping future opportunities

Innovation across the value chain is creating new opportunities for a fresh breed of products and ingredients, moving from raw commodities to value-added goods.

After months of detailed examination and strategic planning, the Board of Lakeland Dairies has approved the new strategy for the co-op to lead the business over the next five years.

Colin Kelly
Group CEO

Together, let us seize the opportunities that lie ahead and build a brighter future for our co-operative, our farm families, and the Irish dairy industry as a whole.

Niall Matthews
Chairperson

By adopting a higher-level strategic perspective, we can leverage our strengths, migrate risks, and seize opportunities in the global dairy market.

George Irwin
Group Head of Strategy

Our Strategic Pillars

Developing the Core

Lakeland Dairies has solid foundations with committed farmers producing high-quality milk. This is used in more than 240 excellent products serving 100 global markets. Our Strategic Pillars:

Lean - We are a lean business.
Agil - We remain agile.
Right-Size - Our footprint matches our operations.
Efficient - We are committed to efficiency.
Operational Excellence - This is an imperative.

Internationalisation

The local dairy industry has never been more global. We are a proud, outward-facing, export-focused industry with a global footprint.

Right Regions - The regions that suit us.
Route to Market - Moving closer to the customer.
Benefit Core Business - What we are great at.
Financial Stability - Further stability for us.
Insights-Based - We are led by facts.

Innovation

Those that are not evolving and innovating will get left behind. As part of Foundations for a Better Furute, innovation is an integral part of everything we do.

R&D - Unlocking our potential.
Innovation Through Our People - Critical.
Investing in AgTech - A key initiative.
Dairy Nutrition Innovators - Our mission.
Farms - Inside the farm gate.

Our Values

Foundation for a better future

We live and breathe sustainability

We are performance-focused

We are collaborative

Reaching Our Goal

Our People

Our people are critical to the success of our co-operative. Lakeland Diaries prides itself on fostering a diligent, commited and skilled workforce. Foundations for a Better Future places our people at its core.

Our Finance

A business as complex and as ambitious as Lakeland Diaries needs to have a modern, robust and agile finance structure. From alternative funding models, to risk management, to the people in our business, we are on a continuous journey of improvement in this area.

Our Systems

IT and data management are the vanguard of any evolving business. Foundations for a Better Future fully recognises the need for a robust and modern IT function, along with the systems that it supports, in helping to maintain global competitiveness and customer relevance.

Sustainability

Our Sustainability / ESG Strategy was launched in 2023 and is now embedded in the business. We have set ambitious carbon reduction targets to futureproof our co-op for the next 130 years.