In the fiercely competitive UK food industry, home-grown dairy companies have to overcome constant challenges in order to survive.

Dairy farmers can often spend more money on the production of a litre of milk than they receive when it’s sold. As such, many dairy businesses have found themselves unsustainable. On average, more than 70 producers have quit dairy production every month in the last four years.

As consumers, we can aid the survival of small dairy farms by buying their local produce. Bought from the farm gate itself, at farmer’s markets or in a village shop, we can be sure that more of our money is staying in the local community.

Using a milkman

Using a local milkman is another great way of keeping the dairy supply chain as short as possible. Dairy UK, leading voice of the Dairy Industry, offers a ‘find me a milkman’ service – simply visit their web site and enter your postcode for details of your nearest milk delivery service.

Buying locally from your milkman helps to cut food miles, and is convenient for the consumer too. It can also have a long-standing impact on the state of the British countryside.

With dairy farms falling in number, herd sizes will increase. This in turn means more animals sharing the best grazing land – and consequent damage to soil and water quality. Intensified levels of production may also mean bigger buildings and more emissions.

Buying local is becoming an increasingly popular lifestyle choice, rising in tandem with the demand for organic produce. Some supermarkets have recognised the trend by stocking locally produced milk and dairy products, promising a significant cut of the premium price to the milk’s producers.