Public perception of the Irish dairy sector is "moving in the right direction" but more work is needed, according to the chief executive of the National Dairy Council (NDC).

Emma Walls told Agriland that farmers "are doing unbelievable work like no other sector in terms of trying to mitigate the impact of climate change".

"Our numbers show a real shift in recent years. Back in 2022 when we first started tracking trust of the Irish people their trust in dairy farmers to take care of the environment it was down at 47%.

"The atmosphere was quite toxic, it was quite febrile. Now that number has inverted it's actually 74% of people trusting Irish dairy farms to take care of the environment, which is great news.

"In terms of consumption we also ask consumers do they see dairy as part of a healthy balanced diet, four years ago that was at 65%, it's now up at 85%," she said.

Walls added that 85% of Irish consumers also see dairy as part of a sustainable diet, compared to 68% in 2022.

"Farmer stories are getting through and the stories about the absolute magic of milk as a nutritional product and part of a sustainable diet are really cutting through.

"There's great work being done by the NDC and organisations like us and fantastic work being done by our farmers, but we've loads more work to do," she said.

NDC campaign

New research from NDC revealed that while 74% of Irish adults are proud of the Irish dairy sector, this falls to just 55% among 18–24-year-olds, pointing to a weaker connection with Irish dairy among this specific age group.

The findings come as the NDC recently launched ‘A True Irish Legend’, a new national campaign aiming to build a stronger connection between Irish consumers and the people, animals and pasture-based farming system behind Irish dairy.

The campaign celebrates Irish dairy and its global success with help from some of Ireland’s most iconic legends, past and present.

The first ad features Cú Chulainn, one of the great legends of Irish mythology, who meets seven-year-old Seamie Sean Brennan, a farmer's son, in a field of cows.

Emma Walls stressed the need to pay attention to the disconnect that is emerging within the 18–24-year-old cohort.

"Many younger people today simply have less direct exposure to farming than generations before them.

"When we look at that alongside what we know about teenagers’ dairy intake, these separate pieces of research reinforce why maintaining a connection with dairy among the next generation matters.

"Our new campaign, ‘A True Irish Legend’, is one of the ways we are responding to that challenge, by telling the story of Irish dairy in a way that is entertaining, distinctly Irish and relevant to audiences who may never have set foot on a dairy farm," she said.

The campaign, which will also feature Olympic rower Paul O'Donovan, will feature nationwide across television, streaming, radio, digital, social media and outdoor advertising.