Barriers and incentives to the uptake of GHG emission reducing technologies in the global dairy sector: the UK case study.

The UK Government have ambitious plans for its transition to decarbonise the agricultural sector whilst balancing the requirement for output growth. Numerous solutions and pathways exist for reducing greenhouse gas footprints on dairy farms. We explore those mitigation measures which have been identified to have the highest current potential for mitigating emissions.
• The dairy sector is one of the most technically advanced of all farming sectors in the UK. However, there are great variances between best performers in both resource use and greenhouse gas footprints.
• We identify a range of technologies and practices that could improve efficiency, prove cost effective and support goals for improving emissions intensities. These cover uptake of sexed semen and genetic improvement, improving animal health, improving feed practices and supplements, land, and nutrient management as well as renewable energy.
• A range of barriers are identified that tend to limit uptake of these approaches which covers both economic issues, around cost and risk-aversion, but also behavioural nuances around the perception of their efficacy.
• A significant driver of uptake is the institutional environment which is undergoing a change since the UK left the European Union in 2020. The subsidy system and the underpinning regulatory base is proposed to change in different countries of the UK. New schemes aim to embed climate goals within support payments, and these include encouraging more climate smart approaches, as well as capital support for larger investments and concerted efforts to integrate woodlands onto farm.
• We outline the different mitigation measures, their main barriers, and incentives.