Stronger planet

Sustainable dairy farming

At the heart of Arla's farmer-owned cooperative is the dairy farm itself, and our commitment to sustainability begins there.

We strive to ensure that our farms work in harmony with surrounding ecosystems, from the natural environment to local communities and economies. We have farmed the land for generations, and we have the benefit of decades of knowledge and experience that helps us continually take steps to do things better.

Actions we’ve taken to make dairy farming more sustainable…

We reduce our CO2e emissions

Since 2015, Arla farmers have reduced emissions per kilo of milk by 9% and Arla Farmers' CO2e emissions per kilo milk os about half the global average. Our target is to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% per kilo milk by 2030.

We take care of our cows

A thriving dairy farm needs happy, healthy animals. To ensure the wellbeing of our cows, we have created Arlagården®, our farm-quality management programme. Through this tool, we are building one of the largest animal-welfare databases in the world to help us track our cows' welfare, from their hygiene to the composition of their milk.

We use more and more renewable energy

In 2021, 24% of Arla's farmer owners produced renewable electricity at their farm from solar panels or wind turbines. 11% of Arla farmers have biogas generators or deliver cow manure to external biogas production.

Stronger planet

Data-driven climate action

Arla’s Climate Check programme helps our dairy farmers measure and reduce their CO2e emissions based on the world’s largest externally validated climate data sets from dairy farms.

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Making the Most of Manure

Cow poop is poised to be pivotal in a renewable-energy revolution, and pioneering Arla farmers have already begun harnessing its power.

The UN Global Goals of Sustainable Development

Our work towards more sustainable dairy farming supports UN SDGs

No. 6 - Clean Water & Sanitation by ensuring nitrogen & phosphorus are in balance on our farms.
No. 7 - Affordable & Clean Energy by using renewable energy sources on our Farms.
No. 12 - Responsonsible Consumption & Production by leading the way in dairy farming.
No. 13 - Climate Action by continuing to reduce the CO2e on our farms and working towards Carbon Net Zero in 2050.
No. 17 - Partnerships for the Goals by working with others and the farming industry to ensure a sustainable dairy future for us all.

Arla's Climate Ambition

Our climate ambition is to become carbon net zero by 2050. On the road to net zero emissions, we are committed to reducing CO2e emissions significantly by 2030:

63% reduction in production, owned logistics and energy usage (consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to 1.5°C)*
30% reduction on farms and of emissions from sourced whey, 3rd party logistics and packaging

*Approved by Science Based Targets initiative