The SDP reaches new milestone as Kerry Dairy Ireland achieves Stage 5 verification
5th February 2025
SAI Platform is proud to announce a key milestone for its Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) as Kerry Dairy Ireland becomes the first dairy processor to achieve Stage 5 verification. This significant achievement highlights the SDP’s role in harmonising sustainability expectations between dairy processors and buyers, driving consistent, credible progress across the sector.
Amale Zeggoud, Dairy Manager at SAI Platform commented “Kerry Dairy Ireland’s achievement exemplifies the power of collaboration in driving meaningful, verifiable progress in sustainability. This milestone not only sets a benchmark for others to follow but also reinforces the SDP as the globally recognised framework for aligning sustainability efforts across the dairy supply chain.”
Developed by SAI Platform in collaboration with industry stakeholders, the SDP provides a comprehensive five-stage verification framework to promote and recognise sustainable practices in dairy production. It brings substantial value to the global dairy supply chain by enabling processors to provide verified, transparent sustainability performance data to dairy buyers. Reaching Stage 5 verification is the highest recognition within the framework, demonstrating that a processor has achieved exceptional progress in advancing on-farm sustainable dairy practices and collaborating effectively across the supply chain.
Kerry Dairy Ireland’s achievement reinforces the SDP’s impact in shaping the future of sustainable dairy. By meeting the highest verification standards, Kerry Dairy Ireland sets a benchmark for excellence, showcasing its ability to meet the expectations of dairy buyers while enhancing trust and efficiency within the global dairy supply chain, creating a strong foundation for sustainable partnerships.
“This achievement is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our team at Kerry Dairy Ireland. It reflects our unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable practices across our milk supplier farms, throughout our business operations and to working collaboratively with our partners to ensure a more resilient and environmentally conscious dairy industry for the future. We are proud to have set the benchmark as the first processor to achieve Stage 5 verification and we look forward to working closely with our customers to maximise the positive impact of this achievement.”
Pat Murphy, CEO, Kerry Dairy Ireland.
The achievement was made possible through the successful integration of Ireland’s National Programme, Origin Green, into the SDP framework. Following its equivalency benchmarking in 2021, Bord Bia, together with Irish dairy processors implementing the SDP, carried out a second benchmarking which identified relevant data points from the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme farm audits, Origin Green Charter targets and other processor led farm sustainability programmes, which align closely with the SDP requirements. As a result, an Origin Green SDP Module was designed to integrate seamlessly with the SDP framework, ensuring that processors can achieve equivalence with SDP requirements at Stage 3 as a baseline. Kerry Dairy Ireland’s Gold Membership within Origin Green, combined with the initiatives of its on-farm sustainability programme, Evolve, played a crucial role in meeting the rigorous criteria for SDP Stage 5.
Zita McCarthy, Sustainability Manager at Kerry Dairy Ireland commented “Preparing for this milestone required close collaboration across teams and partners, including our work with Bord Bia, whose support was instrumental in meeting the rigorous standards of the verification process. This achievement highlights the importance of robust monitoring, measuring, and reporting when validating sustainable actions at farm level and throughout the dairy supply chain. By prioritising accountability and transparency, we aim to deliver meaningful results for our customers, communities, and the planet while driving lasting progress across the industry.”
In recognition of this achievement, Jim O’Toole, CEO of Bord Bia said “Bord Bia congratulates Kerry Dairy Ireland on becoming the first Origin Green member to achieve Stage 5 verification under the SAI Platform’s Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP). This significant milestone underscores Kerry Dairy Ireland’s leadership and unwavering commitment to sustainability, while reinforcing Ireland’s efforts to become a global leader in sustainable food production.”
Kerry Dairy Ireland’s accomplishment exemplifies the vision of the SDP and underscores the importance of collaboration between dairy processors, dairy buyers and national programmes. This achievement represents a significant step forward for the dairy sector, demonstrating how innovation and supply chain partnerships can drive meaningful progress toward a more sustainable future for all stakeholders.
