Katie Gleeson and Sophie Becker explore how progress on Irish dairy farms supports the production of quality milk for nutritious yogurt that can help support an active lifestyle

Dublin, September 9th 2026 – The journey behind yogurt – from the ongoing sustainability efforts on Irish dairy farms to the nutritious food choices that can support an active lifestyle – is at the heart of a new campaign featuring Irish dairy farmer Katie Gleeson and Olympic sprinter Sophie Becker.

As part of the third year of the European Milk Forum’s EU co-funded ‘Yogurt, It’s Great Inside’ campaign, National Dairy Council Farmer Ambassador Katie welcomed Sophie to her dairy farm in Templemore, Co. Tipperary, before swapping roles and visiting Sophie’s training environment at Sport Ireland Institute in Dublin.

On the farm, Sophie experienced first-hand how Katie is working to make her farm increasingly sustainable through her approach to animal care, land management, resource use, and environmental action. For Katie, sustainability is an ongoing process of learning, adapting, and making practical improvements over time.

Katie then joined Sophie at Sport Ireland Institute to experience another side of the story: the everyday habits behind an active lifestyle and the role nutritious foods, including plain or natural yogurt, can play as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Together, the visits traced yogurt’s journey from the continual progress taking place on Irish dairy farms to the nutritious food choices that help athletes such as Sophie perform at their best.

Speaking about the experience, National Dairy Council Farmer Ambassador Katie Gleeson said:

“Sustainability isn’t a destination or something that can be achieved through one big change. It is an ongoing journey shaped by the decisions we take every day – from how we care for our animals and land to how we use resources and keep looking for practical ways to improve.

“Farming is always evolving. We are continually learning, adapting, and building on the progress already made so that we can produce quality milk while making our farms more sustainable and resilient for the next generation.

“Visiting Sophie’s training environment brought the connection to life for me. It was rewarding to see how the milk produced on farms like mine becomes nutritious foods such as yogurt, which can help support athletes and people with active lifestyles.”

For Sophie, visiting Katie’s farm was an opportunity to look beyond yogurt’s nutritional value and learn more about where it comes from.

Olympian Sophie Becker said:

“As an athlete, I need to make food choices that help me train, recover, and perform at my best. Plain or natural yogurt is one of the foods I choose because it is nutritious and easy to include as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

“I already understood yogurt’s nutritional benefits, but I wanted to learn more about the sustainability journey taking place on Irish dairy farms.

“Meeting Katie showed me that sustainability is about ongoing progress – continually examining how things are done, making practical improvements, and building on them over time. Seeing the care Katie gives her animals and land gave me a much greater appreciation of everything behind the yogurt I eat.”

The ‘Yogurt, It’s Great Inside’ campaign connects farm and consumer by showing how animal care, environmental action, and continuous improvement on dairy farms contribute to the production of quality milk for nutritious yogurt.

The campaign recognises sustainability not as a fixed destination, but as a journey of continual progress driven by the everyday actions of dairy farmers. It also highlights yogurt as a nutritious food that can support a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle.

In Ireland, the campaign will roll out across digital, social, out-of-home, and editorial channels, following Katie and Sophie as they trace yogurt’s journey from farm to finish line.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

Nutrition information

Yogurt is a high source of protein. Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of normal muscle. Yogurt is also a source of calcium, which contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and normal muscle function. Enjoy as part of a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle. For more information visit www.ndc.ie

About the campaign

The ‘Yogurt, It’s Great Inside’ campaign is a three-year European Union-funded initiative led by the European Milk Forum in collaboration with dairy organisations across Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and France.

The campaign aims to increase awareness of the role increasingly sustainable dairy farming plays in producing quality yogurt that can form part of a healthy, balanced, and more sustainable diet.

About the National Dairy Council

Established in 1964, the National Dairy Council advocates for the dairy sector as part of an increasingly sustainable food system, a healthy balanced diet, and Ireland’s wider social and economic wellbeing.

The National Dairy Council helps explain Irish dairy to the public – where it comes from, how it is produced, and why it matters in everyday life. It does this by sharing evidence-based information on nutrition, education, sustainability, and food production, while also telling the stories of the people behind Irish dairy, including farmers, producers, and experts.

National Dairy Council and Sport Ireland Institute

The National Dairy Council is in a three-year partnership with Sport Ireland Institute, which includes the ‘High-Performance Breakfast, Powered by Irish Dairy’ programme. The initiative provides Ireland’s elite athletes, coaches, and their support staff at the institute with a nutritious breakfast incorporating Irish dairy five mornings a week.

Campaign ambassadors

Katie Gleeson is an Irish dairy farmer and National Dairy Council Farmer Ambassador based in Templemore, Co. Tipperary. Katie is passionate about modern dairy farming, sustainability, and sharing the reality of farming with consumers.

Sophie Becker is an Irish Olympic sprinter who brings her perspective on active living, wellbeing, nutrition, and the everyday habits that support a healthy lifestyle.

Media enquiries

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Alanna Henry, National Dairy Council Press Office
akhenry@ndc.ie | 087 474 0182