A new policy brief from SLU Future Food highlights the many advantages of small, resilient dairy farms and calls for the creation of conditions that allow them to thrive

Over the past 40 years, the number of dairy farms has decreased by more than 90 percent—primarily due to the closure of small farms. In the current system, smaller dairy farms are not profitable and simply see no future.

• Sustainable development in dairy production requires guidance and long-term political action. With the right support, small, resilient dairy farms can be the solution to many of today’s challenges, says Lisa Ekman, researcher at SLU and Växa.

The ongoing structural rationalization in dairy production is problematic from several perspectives. When dairy farms in forested and rural areas shut down, it leads to overgrowth, reduced biodiversity, disrupted circular systems, and lower carbon sequestration. We lose natural and cultural values when traditional farmland is no longer maintained. Dairy farming is often referred to as the backbone of Swedish agriculture and plays a vital role in preserving rural life and local jobs.

• It’s also a key issue for food security—if we centralize production to a few large units, the entire food system becomes highly vulnerable to diseases, extreme weather, and other types of crises, Lisa Ekman continues.

“Based on our three-year research project on small dairy farms, we have developed six proposals addressing the economic conditions, investment opportunities, working environments, and public perception of small-scale milk production, says Lisa Ekman

• We hope that policymakers and the agricultural industry truly listen and take our recommendations seriously. Structural rationalization is not inevitable, and we have everything to gain by reversing the trend, she adds.

Photo: Frederick Wallace, Unsplash