Arla Foods Unveils New Strategy For Sustainable Dairy Farming
Arla Foods has developed a global strategy for Sustainable Dairy Farming focusing on animals, climate, nature and resources. The new strategy will further reinforce dairy group’s position as a responsible company and assist Arla farmers with their ongoing work around climate, waste and animal welfare.
European dairy farmers are already among the most efficient in the world when it comes to impact on the climate. Arla Foods’ strategy will take its farmer owners to the next level by helping them take further positive steps towards more sustainable milk production.
As a farmer-owned co-operative, Arla Foods can make a true difference across its entire value chain: “We can and we have taken a stand on animal welfare, climate change, sustainability and other environmental issues. In Arla, we believe that by working with sustainable solutions, across the entire value chain, we will increase our competitiveness,” says Peder Tuborgh, chief executive of Arla Foods.
The Strategy
Arla’s Sustainable Dairy Farming Strategy was defined throughout 2013 across the countries where Arla Foods has farmer owners – Sweden,Denmark, the UK, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. The strategy was developed in joint co-operation with Arla Foods experts and by its owners and was discussed in the group’s National Councils and approved by the board of directors. The overall goal is that by 2020, the carbon footprint per kilogramme of milk from Arla farms will be reduced by 30 per cent compared to 1990.
“It is a great achievement to have our farmers involved in developing Arla’s sustainability strategy for their farms, in a way that makes them feel comfortable with the fact that sustainability is not to the detriment of financial performance,” says Ake Hantoft, chairman of Arla Foods.
Four Focus Areas
To develop the strategy, experiences from each owner country have been gathered and four focus areas have been defined and will set the direction in Arla Foods’ work:
* Animals – ensure a high standard of animal welfare;
* Climate – reduce the carbon footprint of milk production at Arla members’ farms;
* Nature – encourage and inspire Arla’s farmers to protect biodiversity and ensure a more sustainable feed supply;
* Resources – reduce waste and increase reuse of our resources at Arla farms.
The overall focus will be to work together across the supply chain to improve animal welfare, save resources such as water, energy and feed, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop biodiversity focused initiatives in each owner country.
