Finnish dairy cooperative Valio has announced that some 95% of the milk that it purchased in 2019 was from farms that receive a sustainability bonus, meaning that they meet strict environmental criteria.
The group was also ranked as Finland's most sustainable brand for the seventh year in a row, it said, announcing the details of its 2019 sustainability report.
“The globally exceptional situation caused by the coronavirus has shown that taking care of food security and sustainability are more important in the 2020s than perhaps ever before”, commented Annikka Hurme, Valio chief executive.
Milk Price
Valio, which is owned by 4,700 Finnish milk producers, paid a milk price to farmers which was higher than the average EU price.
It reiterated its intention to cut milk's carbon footprint to zero by 2035, noting that its work is focused on reducing emissions, not offsetting them.
Alongside the Baltic Sea Action Group, it has trained 250 farm entrepreneurs to become 'carbon farmers', while it is also undertaking initiatives to recycle manure as fuel, and decreasing emissions from peatlands drained from wetlands.
Last year, Valio said that its net sales grew by 3% to €1.79 billion.
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