This will see the size of Arla’s annual UK organic dairy business grow from 180 to 270 million liters.
The move is announced as the organic food category emerges as one of the strongest grocery sectors over the past 12 months, with sales growth of 9.4%, compared with 5.6% for its non-peers. organic.
Arla’s new Organic 2.0 standards set out the specific criteria that its organic farmers must meet as of January.
Arla said it will do so by taking a stance on four key areas: climate impact, soil health, biodiversity and animal welfare.
As part of the new Organic 2.0 standards, Arla’s organic farmers will now need to convert to 100% green electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biogas and hydroelectric. The new standards also require Arla’s organic farmers to achieve a 30% reduction in CO2E emissions per kg of milk by 2028, two years before the cooperative’s broader 2030 target for conventional farms.
The UK continues to lag behind other European countries when it comes to the consumption of organic products. In Denmark, 12% of the national diet is made up of organic products, compared to 1.2% in the UK. In France, 6.1% of the national diet is organic and in the US, 5.8% is organic.
However, the UK organic dairy category grew 4% last year, and Arla has seen double digit growth in its UK organic dairy business year over year for the past five years.
Arla Foods UK Managing Director Ash Amirahmadi said: “We believe there is great potential for organic dairy here in the UK as more and more British consumers are turning to organic food. As elsewhere in Europe, we believe the trend for organic dairy will continue to grow in the UK and with our new and improved organic standards we want to make it even more attractive for British consumers to choose organic when shopping in the dairy aisle.
“Overall, Arla farmers have significantly increased work on farms around biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions and improving animal welfare. Historically, organic farmers have often been the ones to establish new practices in these areas, and with these revised standards, they are once again forging new paths. “
Arla hopes to get the initial part of the growth ambition for its organic business primarily through increased production from existing organic farmers.
In addition to the usual industry standards for organic milk, Arla farmers must meet a list of new Organic 2.0 criteria as of January 2022, including soil health, which includes conducting a soil carbon assessment for create a baseline to measure further improvements in the soil. carbon levels. Soil samples will be analyzed by an external laboratory to track progress in organic matter, organic carbon, total carbon, total nitrogen, and carbon to nitrogen ratio.
Also starting in 2022, farmers are required to conduct an annual self-assessment of soil health indicators, for example, scoring assessments of soil odor, ease of spreading and earthworm counts.
In terms of biodiversity, farmers should annually self-assess and record biodiversity activities, for example, creating flower-rich pollinator habitats, allowing sections of the land to grow naturally, planting hedges and allowing them to flourish; and implement a minimum of 7 of the 33 biodiversity conservation measures, which are included in a catalog of “best practices” for Arla farmers.
On climate, farmers need to participate in Arla’s climate verification program (to track and reduce farm emissions), accelerate Arla’s 30% CO2The reduction objective from 2030 to 2028, and converting to 100% green electricity from renewable energy sources (wind, solar, biogas, hydroelectric).
The minimum number of days that cows spend on the lawn should increase from 120 to 150, and all animals older than six months should have access to cow brushes, with a minimum requirement of one brush per 50 animals or one brush per robotic milking machine. Where it matters.
.