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Ireland’s dairy sector has established a strong international reputation, underpinned by its pasture-based farming system, rigorous quality assurance standards, and growing commitment to more sustainable farming practices. Together, these unique attributes have helped position Irish dairy as a premium product, at home and abroad.

Ireland’s dairy sector has established a strong international reputation, underpinned by its pasture-based farming system, rigorous quality assurance standards, and growing commitment to more sustainable farming practices. Together, these unique attributes have helped position Irish dairy as a premium product, at home and abroad.

There is good reason why dairy farming has been taking place in Ireland for 6,000 years.

It’s because Ireland, in its climate and in its landscape, has natural advantages that make it one of the best places in the world for producing high quality dairy products.

What makes Irish milk so good?

Ireland’s grass and our farmers’ commitment to more sustainable actions help make Irish dairy, a true Irish legend.

Ireland’s Climate and Landscape

Ireland’s climate and landscape provide natural advantages that make it one of the best places in the world for producing high-quality dairy products.

Ireland’s climate is temperate with plenty of rainfall, which is ideal for the growth of grass – something that humans can’t digest and utilise – but that cows can turn into nutritious and delicious milk.
65% of Ireland is pasture – because that’s what it’s best suited to – where the grass grows and the cows graze outdoors between 240 and 300 days of the year.
95% of Irish dairy cows’ diet consists of grass.

Participation in Sustainability Programmes

Almost 100% of Irish dairy farmers are enrolled in Bord Bia’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) – a clear indication of dairy farmers’ commitment to more sustainability.

15,209 Irish dairy farms are members of Bord Bia’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme, an independently audited quality assurance programme covering areas including traceability, animal welfare, environmental management and farm practices, as of December 2025 (Source: Bord Bia, 2025).
Through Origin Green, Ireland’s national sustainability programme, farmers and businesses are supported in setting and achieving measurable sustainability targets.

Commitment to Biodiversity

Irish dairy farmers are incorporating white clover and other plants into their pastures to complement the mainstay of perennial rye grass, as well as nurturing hedgerows and trees, which encourages biodiversity and absorbs CO2 emissions.

Incorporating white clover and other plants into pastures reduces the amount of chemical fertiliser needed by fixing nitrogen in the soil, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the farm, lowering emissions and saving money for the farmer (Sources: Teagasc 2025, 2026).
Planting trees like willow and creating ponds planted with reeds helps absorb nutrients from waste farmyard water, reducing their impact on our streams and rivers.

Milk is rich in nutrients important for human health

There is a wealth of scientific evidence that supports the beneficial role of milk for health. The Department of Health’s food pyramid recommends milk as one of three servings of dairy products per day for a healthy balanced diet.

Did You Know? Research shows that milk from a grass-based system has a superior nutritional profile compared to an indoor system, particularly in relation to fatty acid content.

Fat from grass-fed milk was found to contain significantly higher proportions of beneficial fatty acids including omega-3 fatty acids (83 % higher), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, 141 % higher), and overall unsaturated fat.
Conversely, it was lower in saturated fat.
Although these differences don’t meet the threshold for being labelled as a source of omega-3s and CLA, they can still help consumers move closer to achieving their daily target.

(Source: Timlin M et al., 2023)

Always look for the National Dairy Council Guarantee

What is the National Dairy Council Guarantee?

The National Dairy Council Guarantee provides the independent verification for milk Traceability in Ireland. Dairy products including milk, cream, kefir, sour cream and crème fraiche carrying the mark are certified by a team of independent auditors, who visit the creameries at regular intervals and track the products all the way back to the farm. Only those products that meet the stringent criteria are eligible to carry the National Dairy Council Guarantee, ensuring consumers can be confident that they are made from fresh milk farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.

What does it mean to be farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland?

Dairy products processed in the Republic of Ireland and made only from milk that is farmed in the Republic of Ireland have a number of distinctive attributes:

They are processed in creameries that meet strict and internationally recognised Quality standards, with dozens of checks related to food, safety, hygiene, quality and taste along the process to ensure your family is getting the best.
The milk is exclusively from farms that are signed up to Bord Bia’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme. Only Republic of Ireland Farms are part of this process. This audited scheme meets Bord Bia’s standards for environmental protection, animal welfare, traceability and quality assurance.
Farmers who produce fresh milk for consumers’ enjoyment across 365 days a year, have contracts from our co-ops that recognise the additional costs of production through the winter. These contracts, which fall under the remit of the statutory body, the National Milk Agency are designed to ensure a Fair price for the farmer.