AGRICULTURE AND FARM SUSTAINABILITY

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT GROUND LEVEL

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT GROUND LEVEL

Positive changes happen where boots are worn

Climate, biodiversity and animal welfare are key focus areas in our work, and they are closely connected. Many of the actions we take begin on farm, where our products originate.

We work closely with our farmer owners to support the development of farm practices across the cooperative. This includes efforts to reduce environmental impact and respond to expectations from customers and consumers.

Join us to contribute to practical improvements within agriculture.

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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 future where dairy production is associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions. With this in mind, and in collaboration with our farmer owners, we have set a target to reduce on-farm CO2e emissions per kilo of milk by 30% by 2030.

We are working towards this target through initiatives related to farm practices, data and incentive models.

More than kind words and good intentions

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.

Look after the cows and they’ll look after us

Tomorrow won’t be like today

Agriculture and farm practices cover a broad and important area, particularly in the context of climate change. This involves ongoing collaboration with a range of stakeholders, both internally and externally, and across different parts of the business.

Our farmer owners are central stakeholders, and we are involved in supporting the farmer-owned cooperative structure that is a key part of Arla.

Your work may focus on areas such as greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity-related initiatives, organic milk and value-added milk programmes, on-farm innovation, or activities and collaborations involving consumers.

Tomorrow won’t be like today
We incentivise on-farm climate and environmental actions
We incentivise on-farm climate and environmental actions

This is not only an intention, but an approach we work with in practice. Through the FarmAhead™ Incentive Model we collaborate with farmers, external advisors and feed companies to use data as a basis for rewarding specific actions.

Farmers can receive additional payment for their milk when they implement activities that are included in the model and meet defined criteria.

This business is a democracy
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
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
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.

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/