On a sustainable path.
We support our milk suppliers not only in producing top-quality milk, but also by providing them with advice and help so that they can operate their farms even more sustainably. Our approach is based on dialogue and cooperation. It is of particular importance for us to take into account the respective conditions and possibilities of the farms - regardless of whether they rely on pasture, conventional or organic farming. Our focus is always on achieving improvements together and step by step.
Dairy Sustainability Tool.
How are the cows kept on the farms? What can be said about animal health and cow comfort? In what way is pasture managed? In order to unlock potential for improvement and answer these and other questions of our stakeholders, we are participating in the Dairy Sustainability Tool. The tool is based on a questionnaire with criteria covering economics, ecology, social issues and animal welfare. The aim is to record the corresponding performance of the individual dairy farms in terms of sustainability. Because the results reveal the strengths and weaknesses, they also show us the scope for improvement. That makes them a important starting point to formulate goals in a constant process of improvement.
In particular, in areas where improvements are feasible, we consider together how they can be implemented by the farms and how the dairy can provide support.
The Dairy Sustainability Tool was developed by the Thünen Institute of Farms Economics, QM-Milch e.V. (Association of the national milk quality management system) and its supporting organizations (the German Farmers’ Association, the German Raiffeisen Federation and the Association of the German Dairy Industry), along with project office Land und Markt in conjunction with Landeskontrollverband North Rhine-Westphalia, a milk-testing authority. The Tool was carried out nationally from 2017 to 2020 as part of a pilot phase. Since mid-2020, the follow-up project Dairy Sustainability Tool 2.0 has existed as an industry solution. The foundation is a questionnaire that collects data on nearly 90 scientifically based criteria from the fields of economics, ecology, social affairs and animal welfare.
Dairy Sustainability Tool 2.0 - Results at a glance
Spotting developments early.
We keep in close contact with associations and interest groups to help us identify the latest developments at an early stage. For example, we are a member of the globally active Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform) and participate in its Dairy Working Group. This cooperation helps us to keep abreast of future requirements for a sustainable dairy industry at all times – and of how they can be met.