80 stories about Agri-cooperatives in support of the united nations’ sustainable development goals by copa-cogeca

SEVENTEEN REASONS TO

EIGHTY STORIES ABOUT AGRI-COOPERATIVES IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Cogeca is the voice of agri-cooperatives in the EU. Created in 1959, Cogeca represents the interests of 22.000 agricutural cooperatives who employ over 600.000 people. Cogeca aims to ensure that the EU agriculture and agri-food sector is sustainable, market-orientated, innovative and competitive so that agri-cooperatives can provide over half a billion people with wualit food supplies at a reasonable prices. Cogeca provides a platform for its members to exchange their views and agree on a common position on upcoming issues affecting the EU agri-food sector and agri-cooperatives. Such positions are then communicated to the EU and internationa institutions and desicion-makers to ensure that agri-cooperatives views are taken into account. Cogeca also carries out studies of particular interest for agricultural, forestry, fishing and agrifood cooperatives and promotes their role and business model in EU and worldwide.

SUMMARY

Introduction

European agri-cooperatives at a glance

Key statistics about agri-cooperatives

17 Reasons to Coop

Eighty stories about agri-cooperatives

Frequently Asked Questions about European agri-cooperatives

202

INTRODUCTION Sustainability - more than a pledge, concrete actions! The EU food system has already been moving towards sustainability over the years. Greenhouse gas emissions from farms have decreased, energy efficiency has increased, and food safety and consumer information have improved. Nonetheless, it is clear that there is an urgent need to fast-track this transition and significant challenges need to be overcome to achieve food system sustainability. While knowing that technological advancements and innovation, supported by critical policy backing, can help the agri-food and forestry sector in doing more, it is also of paramount importance to identify the achievements. It is also vital to recognise and benchmark how these achievements can be mainstreamed in the value chain. This is why European agri-cooperatives have launched a campaign called #17Reasons2Coop to underscore their contributions. We have opened a call to collect in 17 days, concrete actions and projects that European agri-cooperatives have implemented to achieve the SDGs. We have collected more than eighty examples that highlight how the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals do indeed give farmers and forest owners 17 additional reasons to cooperate. The mantra â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we cannot achieve alone, can be achieved together!â&#x20AC;? is more than relevant for realising such ambitious goals. The role of European agri-cooperatives is often undervalued in the context of debates on the future and sustainability of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agri-food chain. However, these best practices explain that through cooperation members can increase their ambition and actively contribute to delivering sustainable solutions for the sectors.

This booklet underlines that long-term strategic plans of European agricooperatives integrate sustainability into smart forms of collaboration, which are critical for sustainable growth in each link of the value chain. The stories that we present within the campaign #17Reasons2Coop are about farmers and forest owners who, through European agricooperatives, place people at the heart of all their projects, and broaden their social, economic and environmental actions. As you will see, this specific value created by European agri-cooperatives matches the particular policy priorities of the EU institutions and deserves to be appreciated, benchmarked and supported.

European agricultural, forest and fishery cooperatives at a glance. European agricultural cooperatives are the democratic tool that empower farmers to go from the land to the market and to anticipate consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. They improve farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; position in the food chain and collectively shape the future of agriculture. As robust enterprises oriented on the long-term, agricultural cooperatives ensure competitiveness by adding value and improving rural resilience. With their integrated approach, agri-cooperatives move European agriculture collectively to a level of anti-fragility for the next generation. Agri-cooperatives are the most suitable and advanced tool to respond to farmers organisational needs. They are successful businesses that unite farmers around common economic, social and environmental goals. Their success or failure is based on their ability to serve their farmer members who decide democratically on the businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development and trajectory, according to their needs and circumstances. They strengthen farmers and give them bargaining power in the negotiation process with downstream operators.

WHO ARE THEY?

WHAT DO THEY DO?

WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

European farmers are members of agricooperatives.

agri and forest cooperatives enable farmers to do those things that they cannot get done individually.

men and women are employed by agri and forest cooperatives in the EU.

Why do agri-cooperatives exists? European agri-cooperatives exist to allow farmers to do collectively those things that cannot be done individually by their farmer members. Since their very first establishment, the purpose of European agricooperatives is to respond to members’ needs, democratically expressed through active participation in the governance life. European agri-cooperatives are created to pool farmers’ resources in certain areas of activity and provide various services and advice to their farmer members. While marketing the agricultural produce of their farmers, with an integrated approach they add value, process food and undertake transportation, packaging, distribution. Agri-cooperatives’ purpose is to be efficient and create an economy of scale.

MEMBERSHIP Farmer members participate in regional and general assemblies

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Elected farmers set policy, select and supervise management

MANAGEMENT Carries out policies, hires and supervises employees

EMPLOYEES Carry out the tasks needed to operate the cooperatives

European agri-cooperatives are values-led organisations. European agri-cooperativesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; purpose, vision, and values provide focus and direction and guide them in their everyday business interactions. These elements are key to their business model as they guide their approach to their people: their farmer-members, employees, customers and communities.

business model

KEY STATISTICS about Agri-cooperatives

Sectors in which agri-cooperatives are active

cereal

poultry

beef meat

eggs

fishery

fruits and vegetables

dairy

olive oil

pig meat

horticulture

forestry

rabbit

sheep meat

sugar

tobacco

wine

supply

multipurpose

2019 - Number of agricultural, fisherman and forest Cooperatives per country Tot 22.399

9 48 11

200 78

402 2740

200 301

2024 520

560 256

1024

2400 4703

452

900

91 904

3755

578 16

* Cogeca internal survey â&#x20AC;&#x153;agri-cooperatives monitorâ&#x20AC;? * DG Agri study

NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF AGRI-COOPERATIVES KEY DATA - 2019

Austria 1.372.856 Estonia 2.036 Finland 125.000 France 400.000 Germany 1.452.000* Hungary 4.000 Ireland 143.741 Italy 742.078 Latvia 4.846 Malta 4.000 Portugal 300.000 Slovenia 13.082 Spain 1.150.341 Sweden 160.350 UK 143.000

*including non active members

Cogeca internal survey “agri-cooperatives monitor”

LEVEL OF EMPLOYEMENT GIVEN BY AGRICOOPS KEY DATA - 2019

Austria 26.665 Croatia 2.581 Finland 26.130 France 195.000 Germany 107.478 Hungary 520 Ireland 14.565 Italy 91.584 Portugal 9.000 Slovenia 2.595 Spain 100.883

Market shares of European agri-cooperatives in main sectors

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% sheep meat

olive oil

wine

cereals

pig meat

sugar

dairy

F&V

TOT

2012 European Commission Support for Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cooperatives.

Importance of farmers cooperation in relation to the CAP objectives

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Increase agricultural productivity

Ensure availability of supplies

Ensure fair standard of living

Not at all

To a limited extent

To a fairly good extent

To a large extent

Stabilize markets

Reasonable consumer prices

To some extent

ÂŠ European Union, 2018 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Competition Study on Producer Organisations and their activities in the olive oil, beef and veal and arable crops sectors

Level of Farmers cooperating in the EU agriculture

Farmers not cooperating

Farmers cooperating outside any legal structure

21.769 cooperatives of which 1.657 (8%) are recognised

>20.000 “other legal forms” of which 1.848 (<9%) are recognised

© European Union, 2019 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development - Study of the best ways for producer organisations to be formed, carry out their activities and be supported

Distribution of legal forms of recognized POs/APOs per Member State (=3.237)

100% 5

90%

280

80% 70%

1 38

227

464

60%

219

50%

2 35

40%

459

191

30%

1 31

20% 10%

293

342

183

0% AT

Cooperative

Other legal form

Â© European Union, 2019 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development - Study of the best ways for producer organisations to be formed, carry out their activities and be supported

European agri-cooperatives market shares outlook in EU Member States in 2019

more than 50%

20 - 50%

0 - 20%

not available

ÂŠ European Union, 2019 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development - Study of the best ways for producer organisations to be formed, carry out their activities and be supported

17 REASONS TO COOP

how do agri-cooperatives achieve the sustainable development goals?

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are global objectives that succeeded the Millennium Development Goals on 1st January 2016. The SDGs shape national and regional development plans. From ending poverty and hunger to responding to climate change and sustaining our natural resources, food and agriculture lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda. In this context, the European Union has committed to deliver on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and to be a frontrunner in its implementation. The SDGs are not an objective in themselves. However, they serve as a compass and a map for EU policy-making as they offer the necessary long-term perspective, which transcends the electoral periods and short-term considerations. They guide the EU institutions to uphold robust democracies, build modern and dynamic economies. They contribute to a world with improved living standards, narrowing inequalities and ensuring that no one is left behind, while truly respecting the limitations of our planet and securing it for future generations. Since the start of its mandate, the Juncker Commission has worked to mainstream sustainable development in its policies. Its work has already laid the groundwork for the next generation of sustainable policies. The Juncker Commission has also presented a long-term strategic vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral EU economy by 2050. This vision paves the way for a structural shift in the European economy, driving sustainable growth and employment. The end date of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Europe 2020 strategyâ&#x20AC;? for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth is approaching fast, and the European Commission launched a debate on further developing the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustainable development vision. This debate is clearly at the heart of the upcoming Von der Leyen Commission, and the EU institutions consider that the EU is exceptionally well-positioned to lead the structural changes at the global level.

The EU Commission guidelines for this new term are fully aligned with the objectives of promoting a European Union in which economic, environmental and social values are strictly interconnected, and SDGs act as a compass to measure the success of this transformation. development vision.

How do agri-cooperatives contribute to the achivements of the UN SDGs? Poverty isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only about the lack of money. European agri-cooperatives are fully engaged in fighting rural poverty, which is linked to the specific disadvantages of rural areas. With their core activities, they increase farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income and find additional sources of income. With their special actions, agri-cooperatives offer farmers and their families the opportunity to increase standards of living, education, participation in cultural activities, well-being and happiness.

Every day European agri-cooperatives produce fresh and processed foods and deliver vital proteins, nutrients and tasty food products to people all over the world. Through partnerships and investments in research and development, European agri-cooperatives always aim at making their products and processes more sustainable.

As agri-food businesses, agri-cooperatives are at the forefront of consumer-led nutrition trends. Their success is dependent on collaboration with customers and strong ties with their farmer-owners and other suppliers. Through these collaborations, European agri-food cooperatives are contributing to solutions to improve health, livelihoods and sustainable food production.

European agri-cooperatives actively contribute to the economic viability of rural areas. The participation of women in the labour market and in the governance of these enterprises is of great importance. Gender representation is improving in agricultural and forest cooperatives and for this reason, they put in place instruments to improve the representation of women in their governance and management bodies.

Through their investment in education and training programmes, European agricultural and forest cooperatives have a community of passionate farmers, directors, employees who work hard to build strong and trusted brands, backed by their leadership in education.

The growing global population and economic activity have put increased pressure on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water resources and water scarcity is now one of the greatest global challenges. European agricultural and forestry cooperatives are coping with this challenge and saving water, CO2 and energy without compromising food safety and production.

European agricultural and forestry cooperatives are actively addressing the challenge of reducing energy consumption and increasing the contribution the sector makes to renewable energy production. It is clear that the energy and agriculture nexus is not just about a trade-off. Indeed, it also provides significant opportunities for synergies. The synergies are transposed into benefits for farmer-members.

People working for agricultural and forestry cooperatives bring cooperative values to life and enable the enterprises to fulfil their purpose of delivering high-quality produce and food while empowering farmer members in the food supply chain. The talent, commitment and pride of the people working for European agricultural and forestry cooperatives are fundamental to their long-term success.

Innovation is the catalyst for the growth of European agricultural and forestry cooperatives. By supporting farmers in addressing societal goals, agricooperatives became more efficient. They are now excelling in innovation in the sector. They create new products that delight consumers and help them live a balanced and healthier life. Their research, digital and innovation teams push the boundaries of science and technology to build a bright future for agriculture.

Agricultural and forestry cooperatives are acutely aware of their social responsibilities with regard to their farmer-members, employees and society as a whole. They implement initiatives to improve the position of farmers in the food supply chain and their standards of living. They care about the quality of life at work and they support the local and often disadvantaged communities in which they operate.

Minimising resource consumption in the food and fibre production is an integral part of the daily work of all European agricultural and forestry cooperatives. This is especially the case for the consumption of natural resources, minimising waste and implementing cleaner technologies. European agri-cooperative efforts are driven by a common goal: to build sustainable communities.

Food waste is a significant challenge that needs to be tackled from farm to fork because it has a major social, environmental and climate impact. The European Agri-cooperative approach aims to reduce food waste by optimising the food value chain in its entirety and shifting from a linear use of resources to a circular use.

Agricultural and forestry cooperatives are investing in technologies and adopting targeted programmes that will allow them to take climate actions. European agri-cooperatives recognise the importance of becoming ever more efficient and taking every available opportunity to reduce emissions and implement adaptation actions.

European agricultural, fishing and forestry cooperatives prevent and significantly reduce all forms of marine pollution. They do this by selecting suppliers who adhere to marine pollution reduction programmes, especially target pollution resulting from activities carried out on land. Additionally, specific programmes and projects are promoted by ichthyic and fishing cooperative enterprises that aim to preserve local ichthyic reserves.

Through their on-farm programmes, European agricultural and forestry cooperatives are working to enhance both land and water quality, as laid out in Goal 15, which as they interpret it also includes the health and welfare of their livestock and biodiversity.

Democracy lies at the heart of agri-cooperatives and the participation of their farmer-members in the decision-making process is of extreme importance. In this context, European agri-cooperatives put in place participatory stakeholder consultation processes on economic, environmental and social issues to ensure an inclusive decision-making approach. They also develop codes of good governance and reporting related to the financial statements, sustainability and environmental performance of the cooperative enterprises.

European agricultural and forest cooperatives strengthen partnerships to support and achieve the ambitious targets of the 2030 Agenda, bringing together national governments, the international community, civil society, the private sector and other actors. In this respect, Cogeca, the European voice of agri-cooperatives is also a platform for the exchange of best practices. It allows members to assess the advances in certain areas and the necessary steps to be done to accelerate progress.

EIGHTY STORIES ABOUT AGRI-COOPERATIVES What can farmer-members, rural communities, society and stakeholders expect from European agri-cooperatives?

“MASLINA I VINO” - KAKMA, Croatia

WHY NOT TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF THE (DRY) LAND?

Mr Bobanović and Mr Uzelac started on their project called MasVin on 55 ha of which 11 ha is dedicated to vineyards planted since 2007 and 41 ha to olive groves with 12,000 plants which were planted in 2006. Since their land is situated in the northern Dalamatia, due to the composition of the soil, there is a greater potential for drought. Therefore, they built two large irrigation lakes (the first has a capacity of 4-4,500 cubic metres of water and the second 6,000 cubic meters of water) from their own water injection wells from which they supply their

vineyard and olives in times of need. In the summer, one lake can be used for up to five or seven days and then they use the other lake while the first one is refilling during a period of eight to nine days. This means that the cycle of consistency is constant, i.e. there is always enough water in the reserve. They built 350 km of overhead pipes, which are used in the process of production and 30 km of main supply pipes which are landlocked, the main logistics for small pipe systems, i.e. supply. Irrigation adjusts depending on the climatic conditions of that year. The two irrigation lakes are home to carp and conger from Vransko Lake and thereby contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. All of this makes the lakes a natural oasis that guests are delighted with.

Another good practice within this agricultural cooperative is that pruning residues are given to the local population for heating. Beside their own use of water injection wells and built lakes for supplying vineyard and olive groves, a share of stored water is also used by the state.

AC PIENAS LT - KAUNAS, Lithuania

MILK PROCESSING PLANT in Lithuania. The dairy plant is one of the most advanced milk protein manufacturers in the Northern European region, with few analogues all over the world. Today, Pienas LT dairy products are sold in more than 30 countries around the world.

AC Pienas LT is the largest milk farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; community in the Baltic States with its own milk processing plant located in Lithuania. 190 member dairy farmers fully own the dairy plant and the product line BaltMilk. The cooperative community ensures that the production chain starts with the supply of high-quality, safe and healthy raw milk that conforms to the highest standards and that it finishes with processing at our plant

The products are manufactured with FSSC 22000, Halal and Kosher certifications. It is a reliable organic milk collector and processor. Milk farmers in Lithuania, have established the cooperative for economic reasons in order to obtain a favourable negotiating position for higher milk purchase prices. Farmers understand that when they speak with one voice they have more opportunities to give a meaning of our business, to secure the success of each and every one of us.

Throughout its lifetime, AC Pienas LT has become a unique phenomenon in the dairy sector and throughout the Baltic States in agriculture. The project has become a sustainable business and a global dairy player. Today the cooperative is proud to be held in high esteem for its professionalism and innovation. Members of the cooperative and employees are investors and active members of the community, shaping and changing the environment. Farmer-members take responsibility for the entire community that they live in and in which they create their business. They see highly value honesty and setting an example for other milk farmers who are still hesitant regarding the benefits of cooperation.

AGROPITHIVIERS - PITHIVIERS, France

PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY AND FOSTERING SUSTAINABILITY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The birds of the French countryside are disappearing at a vertiginous speed!â&#x20AC;? This cry of warning voiced by the National Museum of Natural History and the National Centre for Scientific Research in early 2018, has been heard by farmers in Beauce, in the centre of France. In fact, since 2017, the Agropithiviers cooperative, alongside the association Hommes et Territoires (Humans and Territories), is involved in the preservation of three species of endangered birds of prey: the barn owl, the Athena owl and the kestrel.

In practice, 50 nesting boxes were installed in sensitive areas in farm buildings as well as at several cooperative sites to promote bird nesting. At the same time, farmers have set up roosts in their fields to promote the biological control of voles, a small rodent that destroys young crops, and is in turn very popular with birds of prey. It is therefore a win-win operation that both promotes the presence of birds in our landscapes and avoids the use of plant protection products to control the invasion of small rodents. Indeed, the perches allow birds of prey, diurnal and nocturnal, to find hunting lookout stations, to feel safe thanks to the height, to rest and therefore to hunt over a larger area. These developments help to keep predators on the land for the greater benefit of natural resources and sustainable agriculture.

ANECOOP - ALMERIA, Spain

HOW TO ENCOURAGE THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYEES?

One of the cornerstones of Anecoop’s mission statement is: “To encourage the personal and professional development of its employees”. Its yearly training plan schedules programmes which cater for the company’s specific training needs, and for those of its employees. In 2017-2018, senior management courses for managers and directors continued to be a priority. Specific courses were also held for managers and assistants. However, the largest investment in 2017- 2018 was earmarked for

language training courses and emotional intelligence courses, which covered different aspects of this discipline. A total of 9,254 hours of training were given to a total of 200 employees in 2017-2018. This represented an average of 46.27 hours of training per employee. The number of employees receiving training this year went up sharply compared to previous years. Approximately 50% of the employees who received training were women and 50% were men. Anecoop invested €184,931 in training in 2017-2018, up 4.27% in comparison to the previous year. The percentage of employees that received training was 84.03% compared to 72.88% in the previous year. In addition to this, the second degree cooperatives also promote the development of skills and activities that

enable our members to provide a higher standard of service to our customers and suppliers.

ANECOOP - VALENCIA, Spain

ENCOURAGING HEALTHY EATING HABITS and sport go hand in hand to ensure good quality of life.

Spanish cooperative Anecoop encourages healthy eating habits in society, and especially among children, through the consumption of fruit and vegetables. To meet its objectives, the cooperative works alongside a wide range of institutions and non-profit associations whose share the same objectives, such as the Foundation for Flavour and Health, the 5-a-day Association, and the More Broccoli Association. Anecoop supports sporting events, as well as other educational, cultural and gastronomic events, as it believes that healthy eating

ARLA FOODS - VIBY, Denmark

ARLA FOODS AIMS FOR CARBON NET ZERO DAIRY

Arla Foods and its 10,300 farmer owners have set their most ambitious targets so far, aiming to accelerate the transition to sustainable dairy production with an intensified focus on farms. The main target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent per kilo of milk over the next decade and to work towards carbon net zero by 2050. With a new climate ambition for 2050, Arla is taking the next big step towards sustainable dairy production and carbon net zero dairy. The new strategy covers the whole value

chain from cow to consumer and addresses the areas climate, air, water and nature. For obvious reasons it’s not possible to reduce a cow’s methane emissions completely, but they can be significantly reduced, for example through optimised feed composition, which is a research area that Arla is investing in. To counteract the emissions, an important part of the strategy is working with Arla farmers to quantify and increase the carbon captured and stored in the soil as part of increasing their positive contribution. For the farmer, a key enabler is to understand where the farm’s main climate impact comes from and how it can be reduced. Since 2013, almost 700 on-farm meetings have been conducted to educate groups of farmers on sustainability measures and

more than 5,000 climate assessments have been conducted on Arla farms.

ARLA - AARHUS, Denmark

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING STRATEGY

Dairy products in the fridges of European households are getting more environment friendly. By the end of the year 2019, across six countries, Arla will be making 600 million recyclable fresh milk cartons renewable and 560 million recyclable yogurt pots, reducing carbon by 7,330 tonnes. It is the first big move in Arlaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new sustainable packaging strategy, which is aiming for a

CO2 reduction of 30 per cent by 2030, initially committing to reducing emissions from its packaging by approximately 8,000 tonnes of CO2 every year until then. The ultimate aim is for its entire portfolio to be carbon net zero by 2050, in line with its overall climate ambition to become carbon net zero by 2050. The new packaging will be available for consumers in Arlaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six main European markets - Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. The switch from fossil-based plastic to biobased plastic derived from sugar cane or forest waste for the 600 million Arla milk cartons makes them 100 per cent renewable. They also emit 25 per cent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared to their fossil-based plastic predecessors.

“We want to help people live a more sustainable life as well as feel good about what’s in their fridge. Fresh milk and yogurts are enjoyed on a daily basis in most households in our main markets and are also key to our retail customers. That’s why these items topped our list of packaging to improve from a sustainability perspective and our pan-European presence enables us to leverage our scale and impact several markets simultaneously,” - Peter Giørtz-Carlsen. Arla’s head of Europe

AVI COOP - CESENA, Italy

THE VALORISATION OF POULTRY BY-PRODUCTS

Avicoop is an agricultural cooperative for the promotion of poultry products from its membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; farms. In order to reuse and give value to the by-products of slaughtering, to create energy from renewable sources, to make the production process more autonomous from non-renewable energy sources, in 2013 the cooperative obtained authorisation to produce biogas from the by-products of slaughtering. The biogas is transformed into energy and consumed internally in the activities of the meat processing plant with an energy saving of about 1 million euros per year! The

biodigester produces a digestate which is used to produce compost for the soil. From the poultry raised by the members, therefore, not only meat is obtained for human consumption but also energy and nutrients for the soil. The biodigester is connected to the meat processing plant, so there are no transport emissions and, in turn, the energy is produced and consumed on site. Also from a mutualistic point of view, the 999 kW plant installed allows a very significant energy saving in economic terms, which, in the end, is reflected in the price of liquidation of the poultry delivered by the members, allowing them to have a higher return and ability to make investments in their farms. The installation of a biodigester to serve the poultry meat processing plant makes

it possible to exploit the by-products of slaughtering, which, otherwise, must be sent to plants dedicated to their treatment. This reduces the handling of materials leaving the processing plant, extends the life of a product whose waste does not become waste and produces compost that is used in agriculture instead of fertilizers of chemical origin. All these operations reduce emissions into the atmosphere and therefore a virtuous circuit is created to combat climate change.

AXÉRÉAL - OLIVET, France

CULTIV’UP

are already committed and this is set to increase to 4,000 by 2022. Axéréal cooperative offers its agro-industrial customers cereals from sustainable agriculture. Every consumer has the right to know the origin of their food and to call for requirements on its production methods. In light of this, the Axéréal cooperative is committed to its farmer-members to accompany them in developing practices that move towards more sustainable agriculture. For this purpose, Axéréal implements its original Cultiv’Up progress approach in the economic, societal and environmental fields. The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, a grouping of agri-food industries, has awarded Axéréal a silver medal for its Cultiv’Up approach. More than 1,700 Axéréal cooperative farmers

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, our customers are more and more demanding with the production criteria of the raw material they buy. With CultivUp approach, we participate in the global rise of the cereals sectorâ&#x20AC;?

BAYWA FOUNDATION & CHANGE DEVELOPMENT - MUNICH, Germany

BIOGAS IN TANZANIA

Clean cooking energy, environmental protection, jobs, prospects: This is what the BayWa Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biogas project achieves in Tanzania. Millions of people in Africa live without electricity. Women and young girls have to spend hours on foot searching for wood so that they can build a fire for cooking. Fuelwood is still the major energy source in sub-Saharan Africa. This poses a major threat to both people and the planet. To improve the living conditions of the residents and to reduce the harmful environmental impact, the BayWa Foundation in cooperation with the

agency Change Development and the local project partner NGO MAVUNO Project and in former cooperation with the German branch of Engineers Without Borders, has been boosting biogas technology in WestTanzania since 2010. They have been doing this to provide families in Africa with energy for cooking. Since the start of the project, the local project partner MAVUNO Project has already installed biogas plants for households as well as schools. Biogas is produced by the breakdown of plants as a by-product in a cost-effective, clean and technically straightforward manner and provides a Tanzanian household with enough energy for daily consumption. The remainder of the fermented materials can in turn be used as high-quality fertiliser in the self-owned plantations.

Additionally, the burning of biogas is much cleaner than wood. This reduces the harmful use of fuelwood. In a biogas knowledge centre, the residents learn technical knowhow related to the small-scale maintenance of their biogas technology. Furthermore people can learn about the technology and dispel their doubts. The biogas project creates jobs, clean cooking energy and natural fertiliser from the leftovers of the biogas plants. In addition, the forest is protected from deforestation because biogas no longer requires firewood.

BELORTA - SINT-KATELIJNE, Belgium

EDUCATION MATTERS FOR BELGIAN COOPERATIVE and clarify aspects of economics, geography and business management. BelOrta also pays particular attention to regional agricultural and horticultural schools. BelOrta focuses on all levels of education, especially those studies that are related to fruit and vegetables. For primary schools, the cooperative offers training courses on traffic safety. Moreover, children from grade three and above have the option of taking part in specially adapted guided tours of the auction premises. For secondary schools, the cooperative offers children the opportunity to visit the company (preferably in connection with lesson subjects that are associated with our theme). In the context of businesses in the classroom, a guest speaker can visit the school to explain

The cooperative wants to maintain a preferential bond with them given that they are the ones who provide our sector with the employees and entrepreneurs of the future. BelOrta also works closely with university colleges and universities in cases where input from the sector is particularly beneficial. This involves supervising internships and final papers, organising company tours, participating in educational boards for guidance and advice when it comes to degree programmes, doctoral programmes and the sponsoring of final papers.

BELORTA - BORGLOON, Belgium

‘HAPPY SNACKING’ SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

BelOrta offers the first cardboard punnets with top seal from the end of May 2019. This new packaging reflects the trend towards more sustainable packaging and is adorned with an attractive ‘Happy snacking’ design. Initially, an extensive range of red fruit will be launched. In a later phase, a larger range of fruit and vegetables will be packaged with this sustainable & innovative packaging method. Sustainable entrepreneurship has been a commitment that BelOrta has taken up in many areas for many years. With the introduction of these new cardboard punnets, the cooperative once

again underlines the full attention it gives to this. The trend showing that consumers have a different opinion on plastic has long been unmistakable. BelOrta strives to create innovative packaging solutions that are both good for the environment and eye-catching. This cardboard punnet with top seal combines both and will undoubtedly stand out in the vegetable and fruit array.

BELORTA - KAMPENHOUT, Belgium

REUSE OF RAINWATER with the green areas that BelOrta creates around the buildings and in the grounds.

At BelOrta, collecting, recycling and delayed drainage of rainwater is the policy line on the management and reuse of rainwater. The sites have as many retention basins for rainwater as possible. This rainwater is used for maintenance (cleaning) of floors and buildings, for the initial cleaning in the crate washing bay, as a reserve for the fire-extinguishing systems and so on. For the new building projects, BelOrta is also taking into consideration the potential that the wadis may have for the infiltration of rainwater to deeper aquifers. These wadis are also designed to blend in

Water conservation is also a priority: reporting leaks, maintaining pipelines and taps are important when it comes to ensuring that we handle water as a resource more efficiently.

BELORTA - KOBBEGEM, Belgium

ENERGY MANAGEMENT local electricity consumption and, with this, a major reduction in our CO2 footprint.

At BelOrta, energy management is a key component in cost containment and sustainable business practices. With a park of almost 30,000 solar panels spread across all BelOrta branches, the cooperative has managed to maximise the roof area for producing solar energy. The cooperative uses the electricity generated locally as much as possible for lighting our buildings and offices. In terms of efficient energy consumption, BelOrta is investing in a full conversion to LED bulbs in the offices as well as in industrial units. This has resulted in a significant drop in our

BÓNUSZ AGRO LTD - Hungary

COOPERATION AMONG FARMERS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Bónusz Agro Ltd was established in July 2015. The main motivation behind setting up the organisation was economic and to obtain better conditions both when it came to the selling price as well as the input prices. The founders knew each other for a long time and were in close geographical proximity to one each other. They trusted in the alliance and believed that they could go further together. The legal form of the producer organisation (PO) is a cooperative. It is made up of 21 members of the following types of legal entity: 1 Limited Partnership, 3 Limited Liability Companies and 17 sole

proprietorships. The size of the members’ businesses varies between 60 to 300 hectares. The main aim of the PO is to sell jointly and to distribute production, which occurs in a non-profit way. The organisation’s long-term aim is to use and provide the members with up-to-date equipment and the latest precision farming technology. However in the short term this is out of the scope due to the large number of financial resources required.

CARBERY - CORK, Ireland

THE SUSTAINABLE WATER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

This award was open to any organisation in Ireland that has made improvements or used innovative methods to result in water savings or water quality improvement. Congratulations to all the team involved in Ballineen who continue to focus on this key area of the cooperative long-term sustainability strategy.

CARBERY GROUP - CORK, Ireland

THE NEW CIRCULAR ECONOMY OF WHEY

Carbery Group, a milk processing business owned and operated by four dairy cooperatives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lisavaird, Bandon, Barryroe and Drinagh â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in West Cork, Ireland, places sustainability at the heart of its actions to not only reduce food waste, but also save energy and water, reduce costs and create new revenue streams. It starts with whey, which is a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process and traditionally regarded as a waste stream that needed to be managed, often fed to pigs or dumped. However, in recent years whey has been reinvented as a high-value food supplement, used in infant formula and performance drinks for athletes.

Nevertheless, there is still a surplus of whey which exceeds this market demand. In order to prevent the waste of this highly nutritious product, Carbery developed a process to convert the lactose (a type of sugar) in the whey into ethanol. The process of ultrafiltration, fermentation and distillation produces a 96% ABV ethanol, which is used as an ingredient in drinks like Irish creams liquor and gin, and is also sold to the oil company Maxol for use in their bioethanol blends. The circular process does not stop here. After the lactose has been removed, phosphorus is also extracted from the whey. The recovered phosphorus is recycled back into the agricultural land of the Carbery milk suppliers, used to fertilise the grass on which the cows feed.

CARBERY GROUP - CORK, Ireland

FARMER TREE PROJECT

Carbery, in conjunction with SWS Forestry, has launched The Carbery Tree Project, whereby 45,000 trees were given to the local farmers and employees for planting on their farms in an initiative to address climate change at a local level: offsetting carbon emissions, and increasing biodiversity. A first for the dairy industry in Ireland. Additionally, the group, which is owned by four Irish dairy agri-coops with its Millennium project has planted two acres of oak trees. Native oak woods are significantly important for biodiversity and form a key part of Irish heritage.

CAVES DE RAUZAN - RAUZAN, France

AN EDUCATIONAL WALKING TOUR TO DISCOVER BIODIVERSITY national or European protection orders. The route is accessible to the public for free upon request. Caves de Rauzan in the Entre-Deux-Mers have set up a pedagogical walking tour on their territory to both educate the general public as well as their own cooperativemember winemakers, to protect biodiversity. Several inventories of natural landscape elements, ecosystems and biodiversity were carried out in 2016 by the natural areas conservation body. Thus, 5,500 meters of routes have been identified, that interweave the vineyard and natural landscape features, 13 reference ecosystems, 32 biodiversity elements, 106 remarkable flora and fauna species, nine of which are the subject of

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wine growers are the first to be concerned by the environment around them. This walking tour is a way for us to show them that maintaining this biodiversity is not so complicated.â&#x20AC;?

CAVIRO - FAENZA, Italy

BEYOND WINE, TURNING WASTE INTO ENERGY in 2018, the company decided to start to create a large plant which purifies biogas to produce biomethane for cars.

Caviro is the wine production leader in Italy, processing 10% of the harvested grapes in Italy. It developed critical expertise in making high-value products using wine residues, like marc and lees. At the end this second degree cooperative also produces biogas and renewable electricity! In 2014 the group started, in collaboration with academia, to study the best way to produce advanced biofuels from our residues and after a lot of hard work,

The group built a new digester of 6,000 m3, in addition to its pre-existing ones. Moreover Caviro upgraded their plants and established a connection with the natural gas network which brings biomethane to service stations. Currently, the cooperative group purifies liquid waste from wineries and other food industries in its digesters and the biogas produced is sent to the new upgrading plant. The company chose membrane technology for its adaptability and because it produces two pure streams: one of biomethane and the other of CO2. We call it an advanced biomethane because it does not compete with food production. It is then sent through the public gas network to service stations to

meet the needs of 18,000 cars. Soon Caviro will be also able to recover, purify and liquefy CO2 and sell it for industrial purposes. The plant is able to produce up to 2,000 m3/h of biomethane and the investment was about 9 million euros. The residues of anaerobic digestion are ultimately used to produce natural fertilisers that are used by our farmers on their fields. Caviro strongly believes that this is an important step in the right direction to increase the circular economy and the sustainability of our businesses! â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are the first producers of advanced agroindustrial biomethane in Italy, obtained by the wine productione residues. It is an important step towards circular economy and sostenibility!â&#x20AC;?

COGECA - BRUXELLES, Belgium

DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The founding principle of agri-cooperatives is democracy. The participation, therefore, of their farmer-members in the decisionmaking process is of extreme importance. In this context, European agri-cooperatives are setting up participatory stakeholder consultation processes on economic, environmental and social issues to ensure an inclusive decision-making approach. They are also developing codes of good governance and reporting related to the financial statements, sustainability and environmental performance of the cooperative enterprises.

COGECA - BRUSSELS, Belgium

TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THE UN SDGS

European agricultural and forest cooperatives strengthen partnerships to support and achieve the ambitious targets of the 2030 Agenda, bringing together national governments, the international community, civil society, the private sector and other actors. In this respect, Cogeca, the European voice of agri-cooperatives is also a platform for the exchange of best practices where its members assess the positive developments in certain areas and the necessary steps to be taken in order to accelerate progress.

CONFAGRI - LISBON, Portugal

MILKEE: WATER AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN DAIRY FARMING

CONFAGRI, the Confederation of agricultural and banking cooperatives of Portugal leads and coordinates the project entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Milkee: water and energy efficiency in dairy farming -Use of slurry in complementary forest areas promoting the circular economyâ&#x20AC;?. The project involves three associated dairy cooperatives, Agros, Proleite and Lacticoop, a scientific institute, ISQ and a university,

UTAD. The project aims to promote energy and water efficiency in dairy farms, reducing the consumption of energy and water per litre of milk produced and overall impact. In addition to promoting the use of slurry in forest areas minimising the use of chemical fertilisers, the project improves the efficiency of the farms and will decrease costs while reducing the impact on the environment and climate. Thanks to these actions performance of water and energy audits in dairy farms will improve. Thanks to the development of an IT application, other farms are able to add information on the use of water and energy to benchmark the average values of consumption per litre of milk and have analytic advice for improvement. The project foresees the publication of a manual of good practices to improve water and energy efficiency on dairy farms.

On-farm demos explain to farmers how to apply slurry in forest areas. Considering that dairy producers can do little about the price of milk because it varies according to market conditions, this projects is key to show how to focus on reducing the use of production inputs, how to be more cost-efficient and at the same time reduce the impact on the environment and climate. â&#x20AC;?Focusing on the decrease of costs by reducing the consumption of resources, such as water, energy and fertilisers, our cooperatives achieve a more sustainable milk production from the economic and environmental point of viewâ&#x20AC;?

CONFCOOPERATIVE - GODO, Italy

APEIRON: ENERGY EFFICENCY AND THE USE OF 100% CERTIFIED RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

The local federation of cooperatives in the Ravenna-Rimini area has been very active in developing activities in order to reach the SDGs. The project won the 2018 EmiliaRomagna Region award for responsible innovation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; section Business Associations. Through this initiative, the network of cooperatives wants to demonstrate and emphasise its commitment to the environment and to trace new paths for the member cooperatives and, more generally, for businesses in the area. The commitment is sustainability, but the results show that savings can also be made.

The results obtained are in fact tangible and the value of the Apeiron project also lies in its replicability. Affordable and clean energy. The focus is on energy efficiency and the use of 100% certified renewable energy sources. All incandescent or neon lighting was replaced with LED lamps. Moreover, since 2018 only 100% certified green lighting has been used. Advantages: - For the environment, lower consumption of electricity. -For the company, savings in the cost of lighting the workplace equivalent to 5,500/6,000 Kwh/year. Clean water and sanitation. The focus was on sustainable drinking water supplies. In addition, in order to reduce the use of plastic,

to limit the waste of water and to ensure a secure water supply, water distributors were installed and connected to the aqueduct and equipped with filtration and purification systems. Glass bottles and biodegradable plastic containers were also purchased for the meeting rooms of the various offices, completely eliminating the purchase of water in plastic bottles. Advantages: - For the environment: saving drinking water (often, at the end of the day, open bottles were thrown away for cleaning) and 155 kg/ year less plastic in landfills. - For the company: saving on the purchase of bottled water calculated in 3,300/3,400 1-litre bottles per year.

CONSORZIO VINI DEL TRENTINO - TRENTO, Italy

INTEGRATED PRODUCTION QUALITY SYSTEM

Winegrowers and cooperative wineries are then members of the consortium representing the whole sector in that area. The Consorzio Vini del Trentino is responsible for preparing and managing the integrated production regulations, coordinating controls and related analyses, and applying any penalties.

that has led to the drafting of production regulations that are attentive to sustainability and health, first of all for its farmers, and then for residents and all the guests who choose Trentino as their holiday destination. The protocols proposed by the Consorzio Vini del Trentino provide for the elimination of the most dangerous and impactful active substances (effects on the reproductive system and on the endocrine system, carcinogenic effects and effects on the nervous system). Integrated viticulture production is therefore used in order to minimise the use of synthetic chemicals and to rationalise fertilisation, while respecting ecological, economic and toxicological principles.

For several years now, the Consorzio Vini del Trentino has been following a virtuous path

Thanks to such an integrated system, since 2016 the Consorzio Vini del Trentino has

In the Trento area (Northern Italy), viticulture is well developed and most winegrowers are cooperative members.

been certified by the National Integrated Production Quality System, regulated by Italian law. That means that, through the Consorzio, all winegrowers of the Trento area (2,361 winegrowers and their four cooperative wineries) are involved and committed to respecting environmental, social and sustainable standards.

COOP SERVER PELLERVO - HELSINKI, Finland

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

The Pellervo Society provides cooperatives with training through the PI Management School, which it owned by Pellervo and the Federation of Agricultural Producers (MTK). Pellervo organises also the PI Leadership School, which is a centre of excellence in education and development. The PI Leadership School specializes in the training of management and administration of member-based organizations. The trainings address cooperatives, mutual societies, forestry associations, organizations and many other companies and associations.

“One of the current topics in Pellervo’s work are UN sustainable development goals. This is also highlighted in PI management scholl’s trainings.”

CO-OP LITHUANIAN SEREALS - KÄ&#x2013;DAINIAI, Lithuania

SHARING IS CARING!

CO-OP Lithuanian Sereals unites more than 20 members. It is still being developed. Despite plenty of information about cooperation, different models, easy access to news and knowledge, we still need to clarify many aspects that we are working together. This is why member meetings are organised every 20 days, and sometimes more often. First of all, we held this meeting at the headquarters, but recently we understood that each farm has something unique. And why not share this uniqueness with others? This is how we decided, that each member meeting should be organised by a different

member at his or her farm. This is how smaller members can access knowledge, manage growth, how bigger farms can learn to operate modern infrastructure, etc. Good discussions, and sometimes some constructive criticism of the hosting farmers means that decisions improve continuously. Each meeting becomes increasingly open with deeper insights, opinions and solutions being shared. We all understand, that a strong farm level will make the coop level better.

COOPERATIVAS AGROALIMENTIARIAS - CASTILLA-LA MANCHA, Spain

WATER COMMISSION

Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias Castilla-La Mancha has created the Water Commission. The current delicate situation of water, which this sector is directly affected by, has resulted in the cooperative organisation deciding to create this Commission. It will set positions, analyse the situation of cooperatives and their partners within the corresponding river basin districts, establish the strategy to be followed as an organisation in the field of water resources and will make observations and timely demands before the public administrations. Representatives of Cooperatives have already attended a

meeting convened by the Hydrographic Confederation of JĂşcar, in Valencia and the one convened by the Guadiana, in Badajoz, to take a position on the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture on the National Water Pact. Representatives of cooperatives located in the different hydrographic confederations are present in the Commission.

COOPERATIVE “EKO TIKSLAS” - LITHUANIA

COOPERATIVE “EKO TIKSLAS” - COOPERATION OF ORGANIC FARMERS

The cooperative EKO tikslas unites organic milk producers in order to become a strong, mature, technologically renewed and constantly expanding cooperative of farmers, which is engaged in buying and selling organic milk. The cooperative is strong because farmers have clear aspirations and the board is constantly being improved. The members of our cooperative support each other, communicate, participate and share information. This creates a relationship that gives the cooperative ideas for further activities.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Necessary quantities of necessary quality - in time.â&#x20AC;?

COOPERFRUTAS - ALCOBAÇA, Portugal

CIRCULARITY IN PRODUCTION - COOPERFRUTAS

Cooperfrutas is an innovative organisation that focuses on its production, organisation and quality processes and instils these principles in its associates and collaborators. In conjunction with its activity, it develops a series of practices to improve its environmental performance. The cooperative has implemented a rationalisation plan for electric energy and the reuse of water from the production processes. Moreover, it produces compost from the organic waste that results from daily activity and it installed a photovoltaic energy production unit.

Cooperfrutas develops several innovation projects which highlight the evaluation and application of mechanical pruning in pear and other fruit orchards, the processing of apple pulp, Alcobaça IGP and “Rocha” pear PDO, with an extended period of conservation and 100% healthy composition of fruit from the producers of this cooperative. Composting is part of the environmental sustainability of Cooperfrutas’ activity. During the process of fruit handling (calibration and packaging) various organic residues are removed, such as leaves and the stalks of the fruit, grass of the green spaces of the fruit plant, fruit rejected during handling process fruit and other organic waste) which are then transported and placed in a composting plant. A rich organic compound is obtained,

ready to be applied in small pots, for home floriculture or small gardens. With this initiative, Cooperfrutas intends not only to solve the management of the organic residues resulting from its production process, but also to provide better recycling of nutrients in the agricultural ecosystems, contributing to the reduction of their ecological footprint. Cooperfrutas uses the organic compost in green spaces and markets in small recyclable packages of 750 grammes in specialised stores, florists and garden centres. In the packaging the cooperative has disclosed some of the environmental sustainability practices developed by this producer organisation, with the additional objective of increasing brand awareness and reputation.

DAIRYGOLD - MITCHELSTOWN, Ireland

RESPONDING TO MEMBERS’ AMBITION

Dairygold is one of Ireland’s largest farmerowned dairy cooperatives processing over 1.34 billion litres of milk in 2018, to produce a range of cheese and dairy ingredients for export to more than 50 countries. Upon the abolition of dairy quotas in the EU in 2015, Dairygold’s 3,000 milk farms were forecasted to increase their annual milk production by up to 60% by 2020. Responding to the ambition of their members, Dairygold launched a multi-euro investment in its two Cork facilities. This action has not only created 115 new jobs in the area (bringing its total number of staff

up to 1,200) but it has facilitated dairy farmers across Munster to realise their own farm expansion plan and the extra milk that will now be processed will add more than €250 million a year into the local communities across Munster.

ARLA - VIBY, Denmark

RESIDUES FROM PRODUCTION OF CHEESE TURNED INTO VALUABLE PROTEIN

Arla is a dairy cooperative, owned by 12,500 farmers. All the benefits from the sale of Arlaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products go back to those owners. The owners live in seven countries in Northern Europe and they equally share out the earnings of each litre of milk they deliver to Arla. Our cooperative roots go all the way back to the 1880s and our structure means that we work collaboratively to create a sustainable long term future for the dairy industry. Arla controls the quality of the milk all the way from the cow to the shelf and you can rest assured that our ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; milk is natural, nutritious and sourced in a responsible and sustainable way.

Whey is a by-product from the production of cheese. Instead of discarding the whey Arla has - for years now - further processed the whey into lactose and high value protein products. The protein in the further processed products comparatively represents a much higher value than the protein in the cheese and is used for global nutrition and health. The circular bio-economy provides opportunities for the better utilisation of side streams, and the Danish food industry cluster is an excellent example of this in practice. Circular economy is one of the key pillars achieving sustainable development. Denmark is a country of cooperatives. Since the first cooperative was founded 150 years ago, collaboration, knowledge sharing, innovation and mutual trust have made the Danish food cluster one of the most innovative in the world.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The circular bio-economy brings opportunities for better utilization of side streams, and the Danish food industry cluster is an excellent example of this in practice. Circular economy is one of the key pillars reaching sustainable development. Denmark is a land of cooperatives. Since the first cooperative was founded 150 years ago, collaboration, knowledge sharing, innovation and mutual trust have made the Danish food cluster one of the most innovative in the world.â&#x20AC;?

DANISH CROWN - RANDERS, Denmark

PRODUCING MORE WITH LESS, A PIG PRODUCTION WITH ENVIRONMENT IN MIND

Danish Crown, one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest pork producers, is cooperatively owned by Danish farmers who are both our suppliers and owners. Production and possibilities for optimising side streams are regarded across the value chain from farm level to slaughterhouse. The value chain is no stronger than its weakest link, the result today being that Danish Crown represents one of the most efficient meat producers in the world. The secret behind Danish Crown is the focus not only on producing meat, but also on producing and recycling other products

such as sustainable energy, fuels, feed, nutrients and inputs for the pharmaceutical industry. Resource efficiency is a key part of the DNA. Investments in the value chain, such as breeding of animals, new effective stables, feed optimisation, recycling of nutrients, as well as improving energy and water efficiency, logistics and utilisation of side-streams, are interconnected. The cooperative generates a valuable exchange of knowledge throughout the value chain, ultimately benefiting the owners. Based on this philosophy, Danish Crown demonstrates that they produce more with less, creating more value for the customers, suppliers and owners as well as society in general, the climate and environment.

DANISH CROWN - RANDERS, Denmark

ATTRACTIVE WORKPLACE

Danish Crown wants to be an attractive workplace and create different career opportunities for all its 28,892 employees across the countries in which it is operating. Nearly 80% of the cooperativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employees are based at the production sites in Denmark, Poland, Germany, Sweden and the UK. The cooperativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sites are mostly situated in rural areas near small towns where job opportunities can be limited, and therefore the cooperative contributes to the local communities by employing both skilled and unskilled workers and by creating jobs for people who have difficulties finding their

way into the labour market. This is a specific priority for Danish Crown, one of the most diverse and socially inclusive companies in the Danish and European labour market for production workers. A common challenge faced by the industry is accidents at work. The cooperative goal is to systematically create healthy and safe workplaces with a strong focus on preventing accidents through changing behaviour and the physical working environment, where ongoing investments in new robot technologies and high-tech auxiliary equipment help the enterprise to reduce the strain on its production workers.

DANISH CROWN - RANDERS, Denmark

Our sustainability strategy

IMPROVING WATER USE THROUGH THE WHOLE PRODUCTION PROCESS

In spring 2018, Danish Crown tested a pilot plant together with a major packaging supplier and the Danish Meat Research Institute under the auspices of DRIP. The plant has shown that it is possible to screen the process water to a sufficiently high quality for it to be reused elsewhere in production, for example for pre-rinsing, which is the first phase of cleaning at the abattoir. Water for pre-rinsing accounts for 25 per cent of water consumption at the abattoirs. Recycling the treated process water will save Danish Crown significant waste water treatment charges. However,

the main gain may prove to be the proteinrich residue from the screening. This is a residual product of sufficiently high food quality that could be used in a market with a growing demand for protein.

rategy

DANISH CROWN - RANDERS, Denmark

PROGRAM FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE

Danish Crown is a large workplace for unskilled workers. At Danish Crown, people from very different backgrounds can walk in from the street and, after the right training, perform well. The cooperative is proud of being a workplace for many unskilled workers. Since 2014, Danish Crown in Blans, Denmark, has employed more than 100 people on benefits and refugees, predominantly from Syria, who have been offered an introductory programme with the possibility of employment. In

2017/18,

refugees

started

programme in Blans. In addition, since 2006, Danish Crown in Denmark has employed 34 ex-offenders through a partnership with the organisation High:five. Of these, 18 are still employed.

DMK DEUSCHTES MILCHKONTOR GMBH - ZEVEN, Germany

MILKMASTER

We want to ensure that we produce, process and sell our raw milk responsibly and use resources economically in doing so. German agriculture, and the dairy industry, enjoys a positive image in society. Nevertheless, it is also under critical observation by the general public, particularly in the areas of farm animal welfare conditions, feeding and animal health. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we developed Milkmaster. Milkmaster describes our standards for responsible milk production in concrete and illustrative terms. This means that we are encouraging a debate with society. At the same time, the

programme provides farmers support in continuously improving their farms. All DMK, the largest dairy cooperative in Germany, dairy farms: work to the same production standards; periodically deliver the required ratios from the Milkmaster Report; are externally audited every two years; receive annual reports on their results; take part in annual benchmarking; have their economic strength enhanced. In the first year DMK distributed the Milkmaster bonus of 26.5 million euros for the period from January 1st to September 30th. On average, this was just under 0.6 cents/kg of milk. The Milkmaster bonus totalled 33.6 million euros in 2016 and 42.7 million euros in 2017.

DMK DEUSCHTES MILCHKONTOR GMBH - ZEVEN, Germany

COPERNICUS PROJECTS FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION

Since 2016 DMK has taken part in the Copernicus projects for the energy transition (Kopernikus-Projekten für die Energiewende), research projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In these projects, science, business and civil society are developing technological and economic solutions for the transformation of the energy system. DMK is engaged in the sub-project SynErgie, working on the topic of “Cross-Commodity and Demand Site Management” amongst others. This sub-project focuses on industrial processes. Using model calculations, a study

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is now being conducted in this area to find out how efficient individual production processes and systems are and how they can be flexibly integrated into the energy market. The aim is to develop marketing potential for self-generated energy. DMK increased its marketing successes in 2018 with the in-house gas and steam turbine facility at Edewecht. In the current year, DMK will also incorporate a cold store into the modelling in order to generate marketing successes in times when energy prices are low. The company plans to extend this to further cold stores in the coming years.

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DPA - ZOETERMEER, Netherlands

SECTOR PLAN ON SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

The Dutch fresh fruits and vegetables launched a sectoral plan full of ambitions related to sustainable packaging. The collective starting point is to use packaging if it contributes to the reduction of the overall environmental impact. The function of packaging needs to be stressed, e.g. to guarantee food safety, shelf life, protection, quality, handling or traceability of the product. The sector-wide plan was developed together with the members and provides guidelines and a framework for sustainable packaging. The whole sector needs to be involved in making packaging more sustainable.

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The five pillars give structure to concrete solutions: - Alternative packaging and reduction of packaging materials; - Recyclability; Using material with a minimal environmental impact; - Reusability and standardised packaging for transport and logistics; - Consumer perception and communication about packaging. One of the objectives is to reduce the percentage of packaging materials per sold KG of product by 15% by 2022 and 25% by 2025. Another objective is to ensure that by 2022 about 90% of packaging is recyclable through the usual collection and recycling processes.

This ambitious plan gives not only producer cooperatives but also the entire sector the opportunity to have a relevant impact regarding the sustainable development of the fruit and vegetables supply chains.

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EO4WATER - MARCHFELD-SCHLĂ&#x2013;SSER, Austria

EO4WATER - SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT USE OF WATER RESOURCES IN AGRICULTURE WITH THE HELP OF SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY production areas in Austria with more than 40,000 hectares of irrigated land.

Austrian agricultural cooperatives promote sustainable and efficient water use by means of an irrigation platform. Efficient water management is therefore of essential importance, especially where water scarcity is tangible and will be exacerbated by growing urbanisation and decreasing annual precipitation. EO4Water aims to improve methodologies to map out crop water requirements at field and district level by combining information from Earth Obsevation (EO) satellites and ground agrometeorological data. EO4Water focuses on the Marchfeld area, one of the major crop

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The project includes field experiments to validate methodologies and adapt them to local agricultural conditions. It will also offer innovative management concepts and tools to complement current investments into irrigation infrastructure, such as the Marchfeld canal project. There is a strong need and a potential demand for applications that support efficient water management. Space technologies provide tangible and substantial benefits. They help farmers and decision-makers to use and manage water according to real crop water requirements and thus to optimise production and cost-effectiveness.

EO4Water opens up possibilities for technology transfer to other Central European regions and to the Danube river-basin area, which is of great strategic importance for Europe. The calculation model comes from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna.

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FRS NETWORK - ROSCREA, Ireland

MEMBER BENEFIT SCHEME

Farm Relief Services (FRS) has been supporting the needs of Irish farmers for 37 years through the provision of skilled labour and specialist labour. Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family farm structure and scale of farms means that the viability of these farms and livelihoods of the families concerned are under threat in the event of accident or illness of the primary holder. FRS, in having a duty of care to its membership, decided to launch a member benefit scheme to help mitigate against some of the financial effects of illness, injury through accident or death. The scheme was designed so as to be cost-effective to all members regardless of

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scale and to help protect against the worst financial effects of illness and accident. The scheme is unique in that it not only bestows a level of financial security but it also provides peace of mind in that a skilled labour unit is organised and provided as part of the benefit. The financial benefit of this is that 75% of the cost of a skilled labour unit is covered for a 12week period up to a realistic weekly ceiling (â&#x201A;Ź500) in the event of accident or illness on the part of the participating farmer member. This innovation applies to the Farm Services aspect of the FRS business where subsidised labour is arranged and supplied for a limited period to allow farmers sufficient time to recover from the effects of injury or accident or to allow their families to prepare longer term arrangements.

It also applies in incidences where farmers experience a severe accident resulting in permanent partial or total disablement or death. A monetary sum is payable to the farmer member in respect of the type of injury sustained and to the farmers family in the event of death.

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GAIA EPICHEIREIN - ATHENS, Greece

INNOVATION AND COOPERATION TO REVOLUTIONISE GREEK AGRICULTURE

GAIA EPICHEIREIN is the result of a broad coalition between Greek farmers & agricooperatives (71 agri-cooperatives and associations, 150.000 farmers) that have teamed up with partners from the technology sector and the banking sector in order to promote the vision of a more sustainable and competitive Greek agricultural model. Knowledge and innovation are catalysts in this process, allowing for significant gains in both economic and environmental terms.

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In co-operation with NEUROPUBLIC SA, our strategic partner from the IT sector, we have developed the deployment of the GAIASENSE smart farming system, which has been implemented for the last 3 years in 30 areas across the territory, in 20 different crops, covering 300,000 hectares, almost 10% of Greece’s cultivated land. GAIASENSE is a holistic smart farming system, collecting and processing data on soil, water, atmosphere and plant parameters coming from different sources (remote and proximity sensing, field measurements/observations). It is accessible to all farmers, removing the cost barrier for small farms, through a ‘Smart Farming as a Service’ approach built around a private, centrally developed and operated nationwide network of telemetric stations, with no infrastructure cost for the farmers.

The service provided is smart advice on crop protection, fertilisation and irrigation coproduced by a wide range of people (farmers, researchers, advisors) and devices working together to make the best use of specific complementary types of data & knowledge -technological, scientific, practical etc.- . This aims to empower the decision-making process in the farm and significantly reduce production costs & risks, improve production quantity and quality and minimise the environmental impact of farming. In a highly fragmented Greek agricultural sector, cooperatives are major catalysts for mainstreaming smart farming to small farmers in an environment of trust as well as in creating added value from data aggregation at the scale of broader areas.

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GLANBIA - KILKENNY, Ireland

CARBON TRUST programmes to tackle competitive issues.

In 2017, Glanbia engaged the Carbon Trust to review its approach to sustainability in order to inform and guide its 2025 strategy. The Carbon Trust reported the following recommendations: a) Develop reporting in line with international standards; b) Implement a robust footprint measurement of environmental impacts; c) The long-term objective should include science-based target setting; d) Focus on development of programmes to work with suppliers; e) Engage on multi-stakeholder

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important

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Additionally, based on the key recommendation of the Carbon Trust, in 2017 Glanbia submitted its first Group-wide response to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) climate change questionnaire. Its engagement with CDP allows the group to benchmark its performance and to measure and manage its environmental impacts. In 2017 Glanbia were assessed on its supply chain submission. As a first Group-wide submission, Glanbia CDP score is ranked above the CDP respondent industry average. It is Glanbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intention to evolve our reporting as part of its drive for continuous improvement and best practice.

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GRASASA - SAINTE-SABINE-BORN, France

NEW ACTIVITY FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

The agricultural and forestry cooperative GRASASA have chosen wood pellets to supplement its production of dehydrated alfalfa. There are multiple benefits to the circular economy: GRASASA produces renewable energy for a local distribution chain while using it to heat the air used to dry alfalfa and sawdust. Beyond this, this new activity (that outgrew the other one), allows the cooperative to use the production tool for the six months of the year during which it does not dehydrate alfalfa. A fantastic operation both at economic level and in terms of energy optimisation!

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GRASASA has also recently diversified into the production of organic soil improver. It meets the demands of its members, but also to a changing market. The ultimate potential is 5,000 tons / year.

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HKSCAN - HELSINKI, Finland

HEALTHY LIVESTOCK AT THE HEART OF OUR BUSINESS

For the Finnish cooperative HKScan, the most effective way to keep the use of antibiotics at a minimum level is to prevent animals from getting infectious diseases and ensuring good animal care. The actions which are performed at farm level directly affect the level of medication required. With the correct actions and preventive measures, HKScan is able to keep the level of medication at a minimum, have healthy livestock and guarantee top-class food safety for the consumer.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do not use antibiotics in preventive or growth promoting purposes. EU study on the sales of antimicrobials indicates the low level of antimicrobials used HKScan countriesâ&#x20AC;?

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HKSCAN GROUP - HELSINKI, Finland

SMALLER PACKAGES FOR CONSUMERS

HKScan has introduced smaller sizes of product packages on the consumer market with the aim of guiding consumers towards producing less food waste, more modest consumption of meat products and material efficiency. The cooperative has also recently included the name of the farmers and farm location from where the meat comes from. The goal is to increase treatability and respond to consumers trends and demands.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The needs of families and consumers are different. In gourmet products small packages are already common. With small packages one can diminish food waste and make choices on the amount of meat consumed.â&#x20AC;?

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ICOS - DUBLIN, Ireland

ADDRESSING GENDER AND GENERATIONAL BALANCE IN THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR

The ICOS Skillnet is a network of member cooperatives nationwide. Members use the network to avail of grant-assisted training and networking opportunities for their owners, managers and staff. ICOS believes that members need to improve the skills of their workforce if they are to grow and be successful in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business environment. The networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long term strategy is to continue in supporting the cooperatives and agri-business sectors in meeting their training & development needs to sustain competitiveness and growth for the sectors. The aims of the programme are:

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a) To provide industry-specific, customised and the most relevant training to the member companies in order to improve their competitiveness; b) to promote training as a viable strategic tool; c) to improve the quality of training and development activities and provide real opportunities to employees of the member companies; d) to assist in creating a long-term future for co-operative businesses in rural areas; e) to contribute to the upskilling of the unemployed. ICOSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skills net provides training in the following areas: Cooperative & Industrial Provident Society Director Training; People Management; Planning & Strategy; Management Development;

Communication Skills; Sales & Marketing; Finance; Technical Skills; Health & Safety and Information Technology.

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ICOS - DUBLIN, Ireland

SUPPORT TO RESEARCH ON CANCER

Ireland’s dairy cooperatives participate each year in the Irish Cancer Society’s Wrap It Pink campaign, which funds the continuation of many integral breast cancer research and supports services in Ireland, through the sale of pink silage wrap in cooperative agri-retail stores. Over the last five years, this campaign has raised almost €70,000 to-date for many of the Irish Cancer Society’s free services, such as a Nurseline, Night Nursing Service and 13 hospital centres. Glanbia has an additional ongoing association with Breast Cancer Ireland (BCI), sponsoring the annual Great Pink Run event

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in Kilkenny. Around 300 Glanbia employees participated in the events. In October 2017, more than 100 Glanbia employees took on the Two Peaks Challenge for BCI, climbing Mount Brandon and Carrauntoohil, raising an additional €55,000. Dairygold similarly works with the Irish Cancer Society to support the SunSmart campaign. This campaign aims to educate farmers and anyone working outdoors of the importance of protecting their skin from harmful UV rays while working long hours in the summer sunshine. As the most common cancer in Ireland, with more than 11,000 people diagnosed annually, skin cancer makes up a third of cancers detected in this country each year, with current numbers expected to increase more than three-fold by 2040.

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ICOS SKILLNET - DUBLIN, Ireland

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT WITH ICOS SKILLNET

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The aims of the programme are: a) To provide industry specific, customised and most relevant training to the member companies in order to improve their competitiveness; b) to promote training as a viable strategic tool; c) to improve the quality of training and development activities and provide real opportunities to employees of the member companies; d) to assist in creating a long term future for co-operative businesses in rural areas ; e) to contribute to the upskilling of the unemployed.

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INTERVAL - ARC-LÈS-GRAY, France

AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION DELIVERING SUSTAINABILITY TO AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY requirements of the automotive industry.

The agricultural markets will never cease to surprise you! The cooperative, Interval, joins forces with Faurecia, to focus on hemp. French hemp production is fragile in the face of competition from synthetic materials. This is why since 2001, the cooperative has been working on this project, which was launched in 2014, through the creation of a joint venture with Faurecia, APM “Automotive Performance Materials” (APM). It manufactures and markets an agricultural innovation containing 20% hemp fibre. A lighter and therefore more environmentally friendly material that perfectly meets the

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KEVILI - TARTU, Estonia

CO-OWNERSHIP, CO-MANAGMENT, CO-OPERATION FOR BETTER INCOMES AND SERVICES analyses and the necessary logistics. Unlike commercial companies operating in a similar field, the purpose of the cooperative is not to make a profit for the cooperative. The Estonian agricultural cooperative KEVILI is owned and controlled by its cereal and rapeseed farmer-members. The main purpose of a cooperative is to generate income for its members through joint economic activities and create economic benefits for the related farming community. The organisation acts as a broker for the sales of rape and grain grown by members and for purchases of necessary inputs for its members. As part of the cooperative life, the cooperative arranges consultations and trainings among its members, and organises laboratory

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The generated incomes directly benefit the cooperative members in addition to the benefits deriving from the services arising from the joint purchases and sales. The cooperative is the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own, and the offered services are determined on the basis of the needs expressed by its members. Farmers members are directly involved in the co-management of the enterprise. Cooperative members have the right - and the utmost obligation - to participate in decision-making processes. Farmer-owners of the KEVILI cooperative are aware of the value created by their

cooperative and know that trust is essential for working together, satisfying their needs and improving their incomes.

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KMC - BRANDE, Denmark

POTENTIALS IN POTATO STARCH PRODUCTION use of residuals of potato starch production. In 2005, KMC began transforming residual potato fibres into a valuable protein-rich food additive for the food industry.

Danish potato processing cooperative KMC, which produces a variety of potato starch ingredients for the food industry, has been a pioneer in adding value to its side streams. KMC is headquartered in central Jutland and operates a number of production sites in Denmark, staying close to its suppliers and owners, the potato growers. Since introducing potato-based feed proteins for the agricultural sector in the 1980s, KMC has advanced and refined the

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Splitting and refining the side streams from potato starch production helps maximise the output of each potato for the economic benefit of the potato growers, while the use of potato fibres allows the food industry to efficiently increase the nutritional value of its products.

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LANDSHYPOTEK BANK - STOCKHOLM, Sweden

FIRST EVER GREEN COVERED BOND TO FINANCE SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

We have financed farming and forestry for almost 200 years. In May 2018 we took the sustainable and well managed Swedish forests to the market by issuing the first ever green covered bond financing sustainable forestry. The interest in the market, both inside and outside of Sweden, was huge and the books were tripled in less than an hour. There is substantial interest in green bonds and the offering has expanded over the last few years. The bonds are often based on defined projects that contribute to a particular, albeit isolated, climate benefit for the future.

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Landshypotek Bank was the first to issue a green covered bond that exclusively finances sustainable forestry. The bond is based on the contributions that sustainable forestry make to biodiversity and to lowering carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. This is one way for us to keep contributing to a greener financial market, through the forestry and farmning sphere that is close to our heart and the base of our entire business model. We wanted to show the financial market the fantastic work carried out every day in sustainable Swedish forests. The bond was issued under a framework for green bonds prepared pursuant to the Green Bond Principles and based on sustainable forestry practices, renewable energy, and energy-efficient buildings. The framework

also received a second opinion from CICERO and was given a shading Dark Green.

“Hopefully, we will see a continued increased interest in green and sustainable bonds in the market. And yes, this was just the beginning for us.” – Martin Kihlberg, Chief Sustainability Officer at Landshypotek Bank

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LANTMÄNNEN - STOCKHOLM, Sweden

REDUCING EMISSIONS AND INCREASING BIODIVERSITY

To tackle the sustainability challenges of the future, Lantmännen developed a new farming concept for cereals that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increases biodiversity. The concept known as Klimat & Natur (Climate & Nature) was launched in 2015 and is now used widely in Swedish cereal cropping. The concept is based on a range of criteria for the farmer to use certain techniques, avoid certain substances and do certain activities in the field. Over half of the emissions from wheat flour production come from fertiliser related emissions, which is why using the best

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available technology (BAT) fertiliser to reduce GHG-emissions is an important criterion in the concept. Lark plots are unseeded strips that promote bird life (especially skylark) in fields because they create areas for the birds to land and feed. A survey found that fields with lark plots see the skylark population increase by up to 60 per cent. These are examples of criteria in the concept and they are updated by a cross-functional group within Lantmännen to ensure that new technology and research is developed and taken up by farmers. This ensures continual improvement for farmers’ environmental performance. For farmers the reward for participating is a price premium for their produce. It is all about promoting sustainable production and consumption, as for now the cereals

included in the concept are farmed with a greenhouse gas reduction of 20% and the aim is to bring this down further. Because we are rooted and centred around the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; businesses, we can ensure responsibility throughout the value chain, from field to fork.

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LEE STRAND - TRALEE, Ireland

PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING

Lee Strand is a Dairy Co-operative based in Tralee, Co Kerry, whose members farm within the Kerry and West Limerick Region of Ireland. Its main activity is the processing and distribution of drinking milk in the locality. In a response to the global fight against plastic pollution, which is now recognised as a serious challenge for marine ecosystems, Lee Strand has switched to plastic-free packaging for its products, using alternative biodegradable cartons produced from sugar cane.

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MAISON SINNAE - CHUSCLAN, France

WATER QUALITY: WINEMAKERS MOBILISE COLLECTIVELY

Having access to drinking water is one of citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basic rights. Farmers can directly influence the quality of water through their practices. Aware of their responsibility, the members of the cooperative Maison Sinnae in the RhĂ´ne Valley have mobilised to participate in this fight to preserve the quality of water. In 1998, the cooperative members signed a reciprocal contract with the winery, which involves 100% of the vineyard adopting a sustainable approach. In 2011, the winery signed an agreement with the Water Agency and the Chamber of Agriculture to introduce environmental

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measures in the territory. On the programme, the total absence of pesticide treatments between vine rows as well as not using specific synthetic products where natural or mechanical alternatives are possible. This considerably reduces any risk of polluting surface water and runoff. Today, 55 winegrowers cultivate more than half of the vineyards that participate in this programme. The cooperative itself is involved in this fight by equipping itself to reduce its water consumption during the development of wines. This is because respecting water is also saving it; especially in the south of France.

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MALTA DAIRY PRODUCTS (BENNA) - LA VALLETTA, Malta

I DRINK FRESH! contains such a right balance of all the major nutrients required by the human body.

Maltese Dairy Cooperative, Malta Dairy Products Ltd. (Benna) launched a national campaign entitled “I drink FRESH!” with the aim of encouraging the consumption of fresh milk. The campaign was launched through a calendar featuring twelve Maltese personalities from different walks of life, each expressing the way in which fresh milk is of benefit to their lifestyle. The phrase “I drink FRESH!” highlights the importance of consuming FRESH milk as it fits perfectly into a varied and balanced diet that is essential for the enjoyment of a healthy lifestyle. No other natural food

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Fresh milk is a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, including calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, iodine, vitamins B2 and B12, and a valuable source of protein. These nutrients are essential to the human body and provide a range of health benefits, such as the promotion of healthy bones and teeth. Malta Dairy Products Ltd. has distributed the calendar “I drink FRESH!” for FREE in schools and other public places in order to encourage the consumption of fresh milk from an early age. The campaign also expanded to other personalities who endorsed the campaign and featured on several advertising media.

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MELLANSKOG - LJUSDAL, Sweden

FOREST FIRE MANAGEMENT members and entrepreneurs to reduce the risk of more fires starting, or extinguished fires to avoid them reigniting.

2018 was an unusual year for Swedish forest owners. A heat wave and very little rain caused fires in almost every part of Sweden causing about 25 000 ha to burn in forest fires. Most seriously affected where the middle part of Sweden in the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland and Dalarna. This is where Mellanskog forestry cooperative has its operations. In response to the extreme weather Mellanskog quickly arranged educational opportunities involving its

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After the fires a lot of damaged trees had to be cut down, at least 140 forest owners had seen their hard work literally go up in smoke in the Mellanskog’s area. These logs are of course less valuable than non-damaged wood and the market would not be a good place for foresters to turn to in this scenario. To help forest owners in the region, Mellanskog chose to accept all damaged wood at a guaranteed price. After the wood was processed and losses were smaller than predicted, Mellanskog was able to offer a dividend to all who had sold fire damaged wood. The action by Mellanskog made sure that less fires spread during this extreme weather event and managed the damages

afterwards. With the goal of serving forest owners first, they were able to manage losses in a way that benefited the entire value chain and not just one market actor. This also meant that resources that otherwise might have been lost were recovered, increasing resource efficiency and reducing the climatic impact. But Mellanskog was also a place where you could find company, support and help during these hard times. A cooperative is more than a company, in times of hardship members can rely on each other to provide a helping hand and moral support.

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METSÄ GROUP - HELSINKI, Finland

WOOD-BASED TEXTILE FIBRE

Founded in May 2018 as part of the Finnish Metsä Group, Metsä Spring’s remit is to work together with partner organisations to invest in new projects, research and companies with the aim of identifying and developing new business opportunities in the sustainable forest-based bioeconomy (the parts of the economy that use renewable biological resources from the land and sea) and the circular economy. Ecological sustainability was critical to the process of adding a new wood-based textile fibre production method by Metsä Spring to its portfolio.

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The new environmentally friendly production method that Metsä Group is developing is based on direct dissolution using novel compounds for the pulp dissolution stage and relies on wet paper-grade pulp as the raw material. Metsä Spring is currently in the technical planning stage for a small-scale test plant that is to be integrated with Metsä Group’s new bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, the largest investment ever made in the forest industry in the northern hemisphere.

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METSÄ GROUP - HELSINKI, Finland

ÄÄNEKOSKI BIOPRODUCT MILL

In addition to high-quality pulp, Metsä Group invested in a bioproduct mill, which started operation in August 2017. It produces a broad range of other bioproducts, such as tall oil and turpentine, as well as product gas, biogas and sulphuric gas. The mill has an electricity self-sufficiency rate of 240%, and uses 100% of its raw materials and side streams in various valueadded forms: for renewable energy or soil fertilisers for example. Gases from the mill are captured and converted back into sulphuric acid, which is reused for production. What is particularly innovative, however, is

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the creation of a local “industrial ecosystem” around the mill, a network of partner companies who are being encouraged to build their facilities next to the mill in order to take advantage of its products, production sidestreams and services, maximising efficiency and environmental sustainability. Metsä Group’s new bioproduct mill in Äänekoski is the largest investment ever made in the forest industry in the northern hemisphere.

“Being a cooperative is essential to this outlook. It’s a very strong and long-term partnership. And one reason for these partners wanting to cooperate with us is the ethos we stand for”. Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring

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MLEKOVITA - WYSOKIE MAZOWIECKIE, Poland

MILK WITH STYLE

In the school year 2018/2019, MLEKOVITA continued the subsidy programme for the consumption of milk and milk products. This encourages young Poles to consume these products every day, something that should become a healthy habit at a later stage in life. For several years we have witnessed a drop in milk consumption in Poland. According to data from the Institute of Food and Nutrition, Poles only consume 54-59% of the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily recommended calcium intake. The intake of other nutrients, namely proteins and B vitamins, of which milk and

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its products are a major source in everyday human nutrition, is also a cause for concern. The low levels of calcium and vitamin D in the human diet is one of the main risk factors behind osteoporosis in Poland. Additionally, in order to expand the scope of the programme to promotional and educational activities, MLEKOVITA decided to participate in the campaign entitled Milk with style. Schools receiving milk delivered in packages with the Milk with class logo, have the opportunity to participate in numerous competitions with prizes, in picnics and in other outdoor events. There also is a website www.mlekozklasa. pl dedicated to both young and adult consumers.

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MLEKOVITA - WYSOKIE MAZOWIECKIE, Poland

WATER MANAGEMENT AND BIOGAS

MLEKOVITA was the first company in Poland to launch its own wastewater treatment plant, producing biogas in the fermentation process which serves as fuel for energy production. It also has a factory gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant equipped with a unique flue gas condensation system which helps to reduce CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere. Investments are made on an ongoing basis into reducing water consumption, charges in discharged sewage, electricity consumption and the volume of emitted pollutants.

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MLEKOVITA - WYSOKIE MAZOWIECKIE, Poland

REDUCING LOSSES AND WASTE OF FOOD IS A “MOST” consumption – primarily products with a short shelf-life – to the food banks.

Mlekovita is part of the project MOST – The model of reducing losses and waste food for the benefit of society” together with the Polish Society of Food Technologists, the Packaging Research Institute, the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Food Economy and the National Research Institute and the Federation of Polish Food Banks. The aim of the project is to develop and implement food loss reduction and waste management procedures for enterprises in the food sector. This is to allow the transfer of food that is identified over the course of control procedures as safe and fit for

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The developed model will also serve other producers, and the food banks will gain new partners. Mlekovita also participates in a food aid programme for the neediest residents of the European Union, regularly supplying products to warehouses as part of the programme, thus “supplying surplus food to the poorest people in the European Union”.

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ORIGINE CÉVENNES - SAINT-ANDRÉ-DE-MAJENCOULES, France

NEW ACTIVITY AROUND TRADITION

The story began in 1991 with a challenge: to revive the cultivation of sweet onion on the Cevennes territory. Made up of small terraced plots that need to be irrigated, for oignons that are sown, transplanted and harvested by hand, this territory induces a complex artisanal work. A challenge that did not discourage members of the cooperative, driven by a desire to preserve an exceptional landscape. Mobilized together around this typical culture, they allowed their cooperative to develop with the notoriety of its flagship

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product, the sweet onion of the Cevennes. As a recognized regional economic actor, the cooperative today contributes to enhancing the image of the Cévennes and maintaining its characteristic landscape architecture.

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ORNUA - DUBLIN, Ireland

ORIGIN GREEN SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME

Ornua is a dairy co-operative which markets and sells dairy products on behalf of its members; Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, the Irish dairy farmer. Ornua is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to c.110 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Dublin, it has annualised sales of over €2 billion and has a strong global team of c.2,000. Ornua is a founding member of Origin Greenthe world’s only national sustainability programme to unite the government, private sector and food producers, led by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. 100% of their

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member suppliers are certified members the Origin Green programme. Oruna funds the Origin Green Dairy Programme and works collaboratively with Bord Bia to deliver a programme of activities including an international customer and consumer awareness campaign, trade research and a Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme as well as a dairy farmer communications campaign. It also sponsors the Origin Green Ambassador Programme. The programme places 10 ambassadors with key global customers to promote Origin Green awareness and work on collaborative sustainability projects.

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PINDOS IOANNINA AGRUCULTURAL POULTRY FARMING COOPERATIVES - KATO LAPSISTA, Greece

RESOURCE RECOVERY - WASTE TO BUSINESS

The PINDOS loannina Agricultural Poultry Farming Cooperative invests actively in the area of environmental protection. In addition to operating a modern biological treatment unit, it has constructed a combustion plant that uses inactive bird waste to produce energy – one of a kind in Greek poultry farming. It also has a poultry carcass incinerator. In addition, PINDOS owns a plant that converts waste from poultry farms into the organic fertiliser Agrosyn. The company plans to create two more units in the short term. The impact of poultry production on the environment is reduced

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through the use of best available techniques on breeding farms. The fact that the two main waste products (chicken manure and the carcasses of dead birds) are transported by special vehicles to the cooperative’s biological treatment plant – located at a reasonable distance from the poultry farms – greatly reduces the negative impact of poultry farms on the environment. Finally, in the context of integrated environmental management – something that is always at the heart of PINDOS’s activities – the cooperative was awarded the Greek Waste & Recycling Award 2017 in the “Food Waste” and “Resource Recovery Waste to Energy” categories. It also received high praise in the categories “Sustainable Business” and “Circular Economy & Symbiosis Network”.

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POLISH CHANMBER OF MILK - BIALYSTOK, Poland

ENCOURAGING HEALTHY NUTRITIONAL HABITS IN SOCIETY

Polish dairy cooperatives and the Polish Chamber of Milk encourage healthy nutritional habits in society. The campaigns, Milky kids and We are crazy about milk, are designed to support milk promotion entitled. They aim to educate about the values of milk, its properties, about proper eating habits through the means of games and raise awareness of the role that milk and dairy products play in the diet of pre-school and early-school children. Milk is an important and tasty product, the consumption of which is necessary for the proper development of young children.

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This is why the Polish Chamber of Milk has prepared activities to promote the consumption of milk and dairy products for pre-schoolers. The campaign, Milky Kids, for pre-schoolers targets almost 1,000 crèches and over 120,000 children have participated in the programme. The campaign “We are crazy about milk” for primary school students targets almost 700 primary schools and almost 100,000 students have participated in the programme. As part of the implementation, materials developed by methodologists and educators go to crèches and schools. A lot of competitions, picnics and meetings are carried out on a yearly basis.

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POMOSAGRI SOC. COOP.P.A. - RAVENNA, Italy

830 HECTARES RE-NATURALIZED IN RAVENNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REGION

In recent years Promosagriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seven agricultural working cooperatives have changed the face of their 12,000 hectares of land. 830 hectares have been re-naturalised with woods, hedges and ponds. They converted 2,225 hectares to organic, as well as to two stables that produce around 81,000 hectolitres of organic milk per year. The remaining land, however, follows the specifications of integrated production, while the production of electricity from renewable sources, in particular, biogas and photovoltaic, introduced into the network represents over 40,000 megawatts per year.

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ROLNICZA SPĂ&#x201C;Ĺ DZIELNIA PRODUKCYJNA W RUDNICZCE - PRUDNIK, Poland

A COOPERA TOOL TO PREVENT MASS EXODUS FROM RURAL AREAS

The cooperative in Rudziczka brings together 15 members, of which four are retired. The cooperative celebrated its 50th anniversary on 25th May 2018. The cooperative grows winter wheat, winter rapeseed, sugar beet, malting barley and corn. The division of labour in the cooperative is balanced between all members because each of them have the same competencies. Teamwork is more effective and gives farmer-members more time to rest. In addition to the core business activities of the cooperative, the organisation also offers other activities, in particular study trips, which foster integration among the members of the cooperative.

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It also promotes exchange of experiences between members and supports the acquisition of new skills and competencies. Incentives and benefits within the framework of work in the cooperative in Rudziczka are financial, organisational and environmental. In particular, members benefit from: the common use of tractors and agricultural equipment; the common grain warehouses; better contract terms and, consequently, higher incomes; less fuel consumption for field work, which not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, but is also more economical.

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ROYAL FLORALHOLLAND - NAALDWIJK, Netherlands

TOWARDS CLIMATE-NEUTRAL GLASSHOUSE HORTICULTURE BY 2040

Sustainability contributes to a future-proof marketplace and organisation. That is why the floriculture industry is working towards climate-neutral glasshouse horticulture by 2040. This means that the heat used: - Is produced in a sustainable or CO2-neutral manner - Comes primarily from numerous geothermal sources, supplemented by sustainable residual heat from the industry and heat from locally generated biomass or green gas. Royal FloraHolland is continuously working to increase the sustainability of its energy policy - for example, by buying sustainably

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generated electricity and by installing solar panels on a large scale. For its locations Eelde, Aalsmeer and Rijnburg, the cooperative received the SDE subsidy (Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production). This allows Royal ForaHolland to generate a total of 11 MW, entirely for its own use. The cooperative aims for CO2-neutral energy consumption by 2025 and therefore adheres to the SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 13, Climate Action. Royal FloraHolland is working on following themes: a) Energy security; b) Renewable energy; c) Energy saving and energy efficiency.

the

In order to achieve this ambition, the cooperative is drawing up an energy

transition plan. A new (green) energy contract that takes effect in 2020 was signed and large solar panel installations will be placed on the roofs of our locations in Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk, Eelde and Rijnsburg. Additionally Royal FloraHolland is researching the possibilities of connecting to geothermal energy and residual heat in Aalsmeer and Naaldwijk. By increasing the sustainability of the cooperative total energy consumption, Royal FloraHolland will reduce its current footprint by approximately 90%. This allows the marketplace to trade products sustainably. With this, Royal FloraHolland also reduces the risk of remaining dependent on increasingly expensive and polluting fossil fuels.

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ROYAL FLORALHOLLAND - HONSELERSDIJK, Netherlands

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING AND ZERO WASTE

There is an increased demand for sustainably traded products and sustainable use of materials, including transport packaging. Royal FloraHolland is engaging in various activities, such as: a) participating in the KIDV (Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging) plans to make the sector more sustainable in order to test our sustainable strategy with experts of

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the market. This strengthens our policy and leads to new insights and innovations; b) sharing information about the environmental performance of the plant trays, to help the users (both growers and customers) to choose the most sustainable transport packaging; c) a chain initiative in which we work to develop the most sustainable and efficient standard together with our stakeholders. Effective policy is impossible without the participation of our stakeholders and chain partners; d) advising and encouraging the market to use the most sustainable packaging; e) focusing on increasing product recycling. Moreover, for the cooperative zero-waste ambition, Royal FloraHolland reuses and recycles its waste flows maximally, and if not,

they can be of value for other organisations. Together with its partner Milgro, market leader in the area of independent waste and raw material management, Royal FloraHolland is increasing the sustainability of the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waste management. The transition towards a circular economy takes waste management to a new, higher level. The cooperativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambition is an auction without waste and as much reuse of raw materials as possible.

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ROYAL FLORALHOLLAND - AALSMER, Netherlands

THE FLORICULTURE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

As a company, Royal FloraHolland pursues an active policy directed towards the sustainable employment of people and offers extensive development and career opportunities. In the sector, the organisation works with the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) and the yet to be concluded iCSR covenant on the complex subject of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;living wageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This allows workers at nurseries in Africa to also make a proper living. The cooperative does this together with all growers, customers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved.

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Additionally, as an employer, Royal FloraHolland is responsible for its people and it wants them to leave work in good health and go home safely. That is why the cooperative has a safety programme. The goal of this programme is to pay attention to safety within Royal FloraHolland which is measurable as a reduction in the number of accidents leading to absenteeism.

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SCOOPE PROJECT - MADRID, Spain

CHANGING (WITH) THE SCOOPE

The SCOoPE Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objective is to reduce energy consumption by implementing costeffective energy solutions, in the short term a reduction of between 10% to 15%, directly in 81 agri-cooperatives from Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Sweden in the sectors of crop drying, meat and poultry, dairy, and fruit and vegetables transformation. It is an initiative that pools together the efforts of seven Cogeca members that represent agri-food cooperatives. Moreover, a list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), both thermal and electric energy, per sector and per process has been developed

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for benchmarking energy consumption patterns. The SCOoPE Diagnosis Tool consists of a set of four software tools used to assess the energy behaviour of agro-industries operating in one of the sectors of the project: drying, dairy, meat and poultry, and fruit and vegetable processing. The tool is available in all eight languages of the project: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Danish, Swedish and Greek. The Diagnosis Tool is available free of charge until March 2020! The European Commission granted the SCOoPE project funding under the Horizon 2020 programme in the call H2020-EE-20153-market uptake.

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“SIAURES ARUODAI” - pasvalys, Lithuania

Agriculture cooperative “Siaures aruodai” other institutions. In 2017, the Cooperative received EU support for the construction of their own elevator. In July 2018 the elevator was opened. The agricultural cooperative Siaures aruodai was founded in 2009. Some farmers decided to join to make it easier to negotiate with grain purchasers, fertilisers, pesticides and seeds sellers. At this moment the Cooperative has 41 members. Members are committed to selling 80% of the harvest for the Cooperative in order to ensure stability and success. The main aim of the Cooperative is to satisfy the economic and social needs of its members by providing them means of production, professional help in the realisation of the harvest, various consultations and representing them in

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The elevator’s capacity is about 22,000 t. Grains are bought not only from members but also from farmers in the surrounding area. During the 2018 harvest season, the cooperative bought about 50,000 t of grains.

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SÖDRA SKOGSÄGARNA - VÄRÖ, Sweden

FIRST ELECTRIC FORKLIFT IN FORESTRY

Södra has set clear targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon storage. The target for Södra’s production is to be totally fossil-free by 2020. When it comes to transport, the challenge is greater. Since transport currently accounts for most of our greenhouse gas emissions, the target here is to be totally fossil-free by 2030. This will be achieved by optimising our logistics and using green fuels. There was a lack of biofuels to run Södra’s forklifts and the internal combustion caused particles to be emitted into the employees working environment. To solve this, Södra

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started a collaboration with Kalmar Industries to test the first large forklift in the forestry sector. Electric forklifts have existed for a long time, but none large enough to do the heavy lifting required in a sawmill. As a result of the tests, Södra can now run a forklift with the renewable energy they produce themselves. The electric engine reduces particle emissions, noise and vibrations for an improved comfort of the forklift driver, while replacing fossil fuels and improving the climate impact of their sawmill operations. The forklift at the Värö sawmill is still being tested but it holds the potential of revolutionising the heavy lifting forklifts used in the industry. By being an industry leader, we, as a forestry cooperative, have the possibility of increasing the demand for fossil free technology and lead others onto the same path.

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TERRENA - ANCENIS, France

TERRENA AND LA NOUVELLE AGRICULTURE®: FARMERS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING ON THEIR TERRITORYFOR EVERYONE’S BENEFIT

practices to enhance the value of its products and strengthen trust between farmers and between farmers and consumers. To achieve this, Terrena has invested more than 20 million euros in its territory to develop, with its farmer members, concrete and innovative solutions guaranteeing high levels of yields, while respecting ecosystems, saving natural resources and benefiting consumer health. La Nouvelle Agriculture® was born from the will of farmers in the west of France to commit daily to produce better, in respect of nature, animal welfare and human health. Brought together in the Terrena cooperative, they defend human-scale agriculture. Since 2008, Terrena’s La Nouvelle Agriculture® has taken several decisive steps that have allowed it to take a step ahead in terms of traceability and innovative farming

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Today, more than 6,000 farmers are involved in these differentiating and responsible production methods that benefit everyone. After ten years of work, the farmers of Terrena made the choice in 2017 to translate their commitments and good practices by creating their own brand, La Nouvelle Agriculture® the brand of farmers with more than 80 references available in more than 2,800 stores.

By proposing products resulting from a new approach that reconciles progress and nature, quality and accessibility, innovation and fair compensation of producers, La Nouvelle AgricultureÂŽ strives to consider all the dimensions of agriculture: the product, of course, but also mankind, the diversity of the territories and the respect of the living, mankind, the animals and the land.

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TREVALLE COOPERLAT - JESI, Italy

SIMQUA PROJECT

Trevalle Cooperlat has put in place an important environmental sustainability project, which aims at improving the quality and recycling of water in farms and in the food supply chain. SIMQUA project, financed by the Rural Development programme 201420, introduce an intervention strategy in the treatment and recovery of water in the processing plants in the meat, milk and wine supply chain, through the use of chlorine dioxide instead of products based on sodium hypochlorite. The molecule of chlorine dioxide is used in the improvement of the livestock sector,

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in particular for the hygienic treatment of drinking water to improve the hygienic health status and the welfare of the animals. Chlorine dioxide is a molecule that has a high bactericidal, virucidal and algicidal efficiency, as well as being effective in biofilm removal. It is a disinfectant that works through oxidation and not by chlorination. This action mechanism does not produce chlorinated compounds in reactions with organic substances that may be present in water or in work surfaces. Numerous studies show that chlorine dioxide does not lead to chlorine, the formation of THM (trihalomethanes), potentially toxic compounds for human and animal health. Chlorine dioxide, also unlike sodium hypochlorite, does not cause high levels of chlorites in the treated water.

At effective concentrations, it is not aggressive towards steel and common materials used for making the equipment.

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TULIP STD - WARWICK, United Kingdom

FARESHARE: 40,000 MEALS TO CHARITIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) organisation indicates that 100,000 tonnes of pork products which could have been eaten are thrown away every year in the UK. Tulip Ltd, which is part of the cooperative group Danish Crown has renewed its partnership with FareShare, and in 2017/18 they redistributed in UK enough surplus food generated at their production facilities for 40,000 meals to charities and community groups.

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UCASUL - BEJA, Portugal

NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR CLIMATE ACTIONS

After analysing all industrial procedures and taking into account the environmental sustainability of its activity, Ucasul invested heavily in its manufacturing process. It profoundly altered its processes, by using water and biomass needs contained in the olive pomace it receives from the various mills in the region, valuing the concept of circular economy. Thus, Ucasul, which processes an average of 200,000,000 kg of pomace with 65/70% humidity, has implemented the following phases in its process: ● Receipt of olive pomace

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● Dehydration and water treatment by physical means. ● Drying ● Extraction with the introduction of the 2nd phase (dehydration and treatment), Ucasul no longer has liquid effluents in its process and started to reuse all the water treated in its process that requires about 100 m3 on a day-to-day basis. At the same time, it reduced the environmental pressure resulting from the drying process by about 50%, as the olive pomace to be dried contains about 50% less moisture when entering the dryers, thus efficiency has doubled. The biomass is used as fuel for drying the dry pomace itself after the olive pomace oil has been extracted (around 50% is consumed in the process generating the thermal energy

needed to handle the evaporation process). Some excess water resulting from its industrial process is used to irrigate olive groves, and the excess biomass is used to produce electricity in units dedicated to this activity, or in the future UCASUL can do it itself. (This usage of biomass depends on a political decision, as licenses to put electricity on the grid are limited and handled in a political manner). Ucasul is currently in the process of introducing a new technology for filtering gaseous emissions, making it the 1st unit in the sector worldwide with total environmental sustainability in terms of liquid and gaseous effluents.

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VALFRANCE AND AGORA - COMPIÈGNE, France

EASI’NOV : INNOVATE FOR A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

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What is the conviction of committed cooperatives Valfrance and Agora? To meet the coming challenges for cooperatives members, and especially those “producing more and better”. Easi’Nov strengthens the expertise of advisors and farmers, focussing on five main areas: • Crop performance • The environment and regulations • The economy • Traceability, exchange and valuation of data • Diversification.

cultural interventions and the doses of inputs according to the zones within the plots, by using new advanced technologies (sensors, conductivity meter, connected solutions, etc.) In addition to its economic and environmental interests (fewer products used), precision farming offers progress and sustainability to production systems. Thus, through new services developed by the Easi’Nov structure, members of committed cooperatives can now enrol in this precision farming approach. The Easi’Nov structure also wishes to strengthen the position of agronomy at the heart of farming practices and cultivation itineraries, with the objective of optimising inputs on the farm.

Precision farming is one of the key themes of the structure. It consists of adapting the

Easi’Nov’s agronomists thus experiment, through various trials spanning the

territory, innovative farming practices and alternative methods (cover crops, mixtures of crops, implementation methods, etc.) to help farmer-cooperative members to save resources, to preserve their soil and biodiversity and to implement virtuous natural mechanisms. A network of pilot farms on different cropping systems will also be set up for the next marketing year, in order to better support the members of both organisations. The objective is to ensure the agronomic, economic and environmental interest of the different cropping systems and new tools available to farmers.

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VALIO - HELSINKI, Finland

CARBON-NEUTRAL FOOTPRINT IN MILK PRODUCTION

The collaboration network was initiated on the basis of Valioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal: the dairy company owned by Finnish dairy farms is aiming for a carbon-neutral footprint in milk production. It is possible to achieve this ambitious goal if there is a significant increase in carbon sequestration in grass fields, and if the energy contained in manure is utilised to replace fossil fuels.

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“Grass fields are a specialty of Northern agriculture – an extensive Finnish project of several partners aims for climate change mitigation and resource efficiency”.

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VALIO - HELSINKI, Finland

FULLY PLANT-BASED CARTONS LEADER

In 2015, Valio was the first company in the world to start using fully plant-based cartons. Now Valio has achieved its ambitious goal: all of its gable top milk, sour milk, cream and yoghurt cartons sold in Finland and all yoghurt cartons sold in Sweden are fully plant-based. This is roughly 250 million cartons every year.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Valio was first to introduce plant-based cartons. For this Valio wins the Best sustainability/CSR initiative category in the World Dairy Innovation Awards this year.â&#x20AC;?

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VALIO - HELSINKI, Finland

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF COW AND CALF WELL-BEING

The well-being of farm animals plays a key role in the quality of the new milk production and methods agreements currently being made with Valio dairy farmer entrepreneurs. 74% of the dairy farmer entrepreneurs are covered by the new agreement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those who sign up will receive one cent extra per litre of raw milk as of 1 January 2018. Our goal is to raise the percentage of entrepreneurs covered to one hundred by 2020â&#x20AC;?, says Juha Nousiainen, Senior Vice President of Valio, Farm services and Milk Procurement

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Valio is comitted to enhance the welfare and livelihood of cows and calves for example by training farmers and paying an extra 1 cent per litre to those farms who take part in the measures of the programme.â&#x20AC;?

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VALIO - HELSINKI, Finland

CONSUMERS RANK VALIO AS THE MOST SUSTAINABLE BRAND IN FINLAND

The dairy and food company received the distinction for the fifth consecutive year from the Nordicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest brand study on sustainability. Issues of particular importance to consumers included securing the vitality of rural Finland and the dairy farm livelihood, locally produced food, and animal wellbeing. The Sustainable Brand Index 2018 conducted a survey asking consumers for their views on the sustainability of prominent companies and brands in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands. Valio was ranked first among the 164 brands evaluated in Finland and received a higher score than in the previous year.

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VALIO - HELSINKI, Finland

HOW TO CAPTURE THE NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS CONTAINED IN MANURE?

The Valio cooperative wants to efficiently capture the nitrogen and phosphorus contained in manure and return it to the nutrient cycle. Valio has developed a technology that can separate phosphorus and nitrogen from manure into fertiliser fractions. At the same time, clean water and biogas are created, which can replace fossil fuels. The manure from the Valio Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5,300 farms would create enough biogas to be used for all the farm equipment as well as Valioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection and delivery trucks. And there would even be some left for the plants to use.

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VIGNERONS DE BUZET - BUZET-SUR-BAÏSE, France

WHEN FRENCH WINE PRODUCERS ACT TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

Since 2005, Buzet wine producers have adopted a strategy with high environmental value. These wine producers in Lot et Garonne protect endangered species. An environmentally conscious approach that pays off, which is recognised and applauded! The sustainable development strategy of the cooperative goes beyond the preservation of biodiversity. The wine cooperative has also replaced chemical fertilisers with 100% organic fertilisers throughout the vineyard. It is also concerned about global warming and is implementing actions to limit its environmental footprint.

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At the end of 2015, the cooperative received the trophy for the Grand Challenge of Suppliers for Climate, CSR category. Green winemakers for example cultivate plants between the vine rows. In addition to making the vine more resistant to drought, these “plant mats” are real carbon sinks, thus playing a direct role in the reduction of greenhouse gases.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The little owl has become the symbol of Vignerons de Buzet. It has become the emblem of the cooperative to always go further in the sustainanle production of a quality wine.â&#x20AC;?

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VIGNOLIS - NYONS, France

TRACEABILITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT cosmetics. Vignolis is capitalising on the virtues of olives ... in varied fields! Here, there are no doubts about traceability. Vignolis is invested in its territory. With its cultural office next to its sales area, the agricultural cooperative created a modern showcase of the thousand-year-old tradition of the olive of Nyons (DrĂ´me, south of France). A way to introduce a key element of local agriculture, create a bond of trust between farmers and consumers, and promote a local product. The Vignolis area also includes a 220 mÂ˛ shop, next to the museum, recently enlarged and transformed into several spaces. One is dedicated to wine, another to olive growing, a third to organic farming, a fourth to fresh products and a fifth to

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the preservation of a territory and the authenticity of its productions, the farmers of Vignolis formed a cooperative in 1923. Our two main commitments: contribute to the influence of our region and local agriculture and preserve our know-how.â&#x20AC;?

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ZUK “RADVILISKIO ARUODAS” - RADVILIŠKIS, Lithuania

CREATING A UNIFIED AGRONOMICS AND TRADING SYSTEM ABLE TO SATISFY ALL FARMERS’ EXPECTATIONS sincerity, communication, respect, honesty and help for each other.

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ŽUK Radviliškio aruodas was established on 30th May 2017 in Radviliskis town. It involves 39 honest and reliable district farmers who have about 8,000 ha of land.

The goal is to fulfil all the wishes and dreams of the farmers. Farmers not only willingly share their experience and knowledge but also voluntarily participate in festivals and activities. The key issues are dealt with by the board of the cooperative. Farmers strive for teamwork, responsibility and trust, which help them to grow and develop. Although the cooperative is still a young firm, it is stable and very promising.

The heart of the cooperative is Renatas Lemežis, which brings all the farmers together. The main goal is to help farmers negotiate with grain purchasers and to buy fertilisers, pesticides and seeds at more attractive prices. Together farmers seek

Farmers are always welcome here, listened to and receive useful advice and a good recommendation from us. To the cooperative’s delight during these 2 years, farmers members have not spread out; they work together and grow.

The cooperative seeks the best financial results. In 2018 its turnover was 6 million euros, this year, 2019, the cooperative plans to have a turnover of 10 million euros. What motivates the cooperative the most is a smile and a good deal for its farmers. The recipe for success is the farmers themselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our strategy is to create a unified agronomics and trading system that will satisfy all farmers wishes and expectations.â&#x20AC;?

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT EUROPEAN AGRICOOPERATIVES

What is an agri- cooperative? How does it differ from other types of businesses?

Agricultural cooperatives enable farmers to join forces to collect, process and market their produce. They are different from other types of business as they are owned and controlled by their farmer members which can use the services to their benefit.

Why should farmers join agri-cooperatives? Does it help them to maintain their businesses and overcome crises?

Agri-cooperatives enable farmers to better market their produce and to get a better price for it. This allows them to improve their competitive position in the food chain and to increase their power against a handful of retailers. This is especially important in the current economic and business climate. Being ahead in business today is demanding. Economic resources are vital for research and innovation and for developing new products and agri-cooperatives enable farmers to stay ahead.

What sectors are represented?

Agri-cooperatives play a more dominant role in the dairy sector with a market share of almost 60%. This is followed by the fruit & vegetable and the wine sectors which have market shares of around 40%. There is a much lower percentage in the olive oil and olives sector, the cereals, pig meat and sugar sectors. Sheep cooperatives have a limited presence representing some 5% of the market. As a whole, some 40% of the total sales is generated by EU agri-cooperatives.

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Why is the European Commission keen to encourage farmers to join agri-cooperatives? What measures are available under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)? Agri-cooperatives have a strong presence and good economic performance mostly in some Nordic and Western Member States, with their presence remaining limited in Eastern and South Member States. It is therefore of critical importance to encourage their development especially in the latter group of countries as well as in some particular sectors. Support measures to encourage the development of Producer Organisations (POs) like cooperatives are of fundamental importance in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Will it become more important for farmers to join agri-cooperatives in the future?

Faced with increasing challenges like extreme market volatility, an increasingly competitive marketplace and climate related risks, it will be more important than ever for farmers to join agri-cooperatives so that they can have a viable future, grasp the opportunities and continue to feed the world. It is essential to involve young men and women and new entrants in the cooperativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structures and their governing bodies.

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What is the vision of European agri-cooperatives? The vision of European agri-cooperatives is to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector, by serving farmer members and understanding consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; demand. While their primary objective is to support farmers in rebalancing their position in the food chain, they pool existing processing assets and keep them in the hands of their farmer members.

The TOP 3 strategic and operational priorities of European agri-cooperatives:

To provide farmers with tools so that they can thrive in a circular, resilient and innovative agricultural economy;

To continue empowering farmer members;

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To be resilient while increasing and consolidating farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; market position.

The cooperative difference European agri-cooperativesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strategies are based on a successful model in which business efficiency is combined with the values of solidarity, responsibility and social cohesion. Agri-cooperativesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; core values are the guiding principles that stipulate what these enterprises stand for, in good and bad times. The set of values and principles behind their work distinguishes them from investorowned businesses.

European agri-cooperatives are based on the values of: Self help Equality Equity and fairness Solidarity Market orientation Social responsibility Transparency

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The cooperatives principles Cooperative Alliance:

the

International

1. Voluntary and Open Membership:

Cooperatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership.

2. Democratic Member Control:

Cooperatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. Members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote). Second degree cooperatives are also organised in a democratic manner.

3. Member Economic Participation:

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4. Autonomy and Independence:

Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organisations, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.

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5. Education, Training and Information:

Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders about the nature and benefits of cooperation.

6. Cooperation among Cooperatives:

Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7. Concern for Community:

Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

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Visit the website

www.17reasons2coop.eu and share your story!

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SEVENTEEN REASONS TO