Helping NI Dairy Farmers find a way to net zero

The conversation around sustainability and carbon neutrality has often felt prescriptive—another inspection, another cost, another headache for the already demanding life of a farmer. But ARCZero, through the new Dairy+ Europe project, is offering Northern Ireland farmers the chance to take control of their farm's future in a way that is both profitable and practical.

The project, funded by EIT Food and led by Queen’s University, Belfast and ARCZero in Northern Ireland, is actively recruiting dairy farms from Northern Ireland. This initiative is not about adding bureaucracy, but providing clear, independent advice to help de-risk future sustainability decisions.

Data-Driven, Farmer-Led Change

ARCZero (Accelerating Ruminant Carbon Zero), is farmer-led and has extensive experience in running these kind of projects, having started with a co-operative of seven farms focused on measuring and managing carbon flows.

The core aim of Dairy+ is to help find profitable, practical ways to reach net zero by 2050 while simultaneously improving key areas.

What makes this project stand out is its commitment to financial clarity and farmer autonomy. If you are selected, the initial assessment will lead to a number of recommended actions, but they are strictly no-obligation. This means you can confidently choose only the actions that make sense for your farm. There is no pressure, no prescriptions, and no unnecessary cost.

The Benefits of becoming a Dairy+ farmer

Partnership with Dairy+ will provide you with valuable tools and insights, including a farm-specific sustainability and efficiency plan; a financial investment plan with cost-benefit analysis; soil, carbon, biodiversity, and water insights; as well as peer learning opportunities with other NI farmers who are already trialling new approaches.

The goal is simple: to improve performance and resilience, not to add workload or cost.

Join the Conversation

If you are interested in being one of the NI farms, you can download our recruitment pack or apply now at arczeroni.org/dairy