AGRICULTURE AND FARM SUSTAINABILITY

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT GROUND LEVEL

Positive changes happen where boots are worn

Sustainability, biodiversity and animal welfare are at the heart of what we do and they are all inter-linked. The simple truth is that most of the positive changes we can make all begin at the farm, where the story of all our products begins. We work closely, every day, with our individual farmer owners, which in turn supports the cooperative. We have to do our part in reducing our environmental impact. Not only is this the right thing to do, it’s also demanded by our customers and expected by our consumers. Join us and you can help Agriculture make a practical, positive difference.

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Positive changes happen where boots are worn

“We are one of the best teams in Arla, with the highest employee satisfaction score. My goal is to keep it that way.”

Poul Bank Petterson. Director, Agriculture, Denmark.

Would you like to have a look at our current vacancies? Then please first spend 30 seconds listening to Torben, one of our farmer-owners. He will give you an introduction to our job database so you can easier access the vacancies you might find interesting.

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More than kind words and good intentions

Being one of the world’s biggest companies comes with a massive responsibility. Or, as we see it, an obligation. Everyone is looking to us to set an example and we must lead the way in making a positive impact. We see a world where it is possible to drink a glass of milk with a good conscience, without worrying about the effect on the environment. With this in mind, in collaboration with our farmer owners, we intend to hit our target of a 30% reduction in on-farm carbon emissions per kilo milk by 2030.

Look after the cows and they’ll look after us

Animal welfare and a respect for nature is not just beneficial to the creatures who make our milk, it’s also good for business. Customers and consumers will be confident about buying our products when they know that they come from farms where cows – and the environment – come first. The Arlagården quality programme is our way of ensuring best practice is embedded on the farm. And our farmer owners will never feel isolated in their efforts because we are always here to guide and support them, in many ways. We always have their back.

Tomorrow won’t be like today

Agriculture and farm sustainability is a such a broad and important topic. Especially at a time when climate change is so top of mind. Consequently, each day sees us interacting with so many important stakeholders – both internal and external – and touching many different parts of the business. Our farmer owners are naturally some of our most important stakeholders, and we play an important in managing the farmer owned democratic structure that makes Arla so special. In addition to this, your focus might be Arla’s carbon footprint or biodiversity credentials. Or it could be organic milk and added value milk programmes. Or, innovation initiatives on the farm. Or events or collaborations involving consumers.

We believe in safe, natural and healthy dairy products

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We incentivise sustainability

It’s not just an intention to make a difference on the farm. It’s something we actively do. Our Sustainability Incentive Model sees us working with farmers, external advisors and even feed companies that allows us to respond to data and pay farmers more for their milk when they change their behaviour for good.

This business is a democracy

One key strength of Arla is that it is a farmer-owned cooperative. It’s a democracy, not a top-down organization run from the boardroom. This structure means that farmers are shareholders and they are a vital part of the cooperative day-to-day. We play a part in ensuring they feel an active part in this process.

Consumers value great products

Creating milk derivatives like Organic and single farm concepts means we can offer our consumers interesting, new alternatives they will pay more for and, consequently, offer our farmers a higher price for their milk. This involves work on validating claims and communicating with the market. We help make this happen.

Making events a big deal

Head of Økoday, Kosläpp or Open Farm Sunday? These are just three famous examples of events where farmer owners open their gates to consumers, so they can meet the animals and sample the dairy products they eventually create.

Sustainability at Arla

We are on a journey towards a sustainable future for dairy. As one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the world, we bring nutritious products to millions of people, but we also have a responsibility to do it sustainably.

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Arla is a cooperative owned by dairy farmers in seven countries (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). These regions are grouped into four geographical areas, each of which has its own regions and districts.

Every owner of Arla is part of the member district where their farm is located. Each year they convene for a local assembly in their respective districts so they can directly influence Arla’s decision-making.

You can read more here: https://www.arla.com/company/farmer-owned/