First Take Sustainability in Dairy

Leaders in the dairy space continue to elevate the segment with premium options and untraditional products that bring consumers with dietary restrictions back to the dairy products they were missing out on. Consumers have become conditioned to demand more sustainable options and dairy suppliers have risen to that challenge.

a2 Milk

More than 20 years ago, the a2 Milk Company was established in New Zealand by Dr. Corran McLachlan based off the discovery that suggested the different proteins in milk affect consumers differently. “Published research suggests a2 Milk may help avoid stomach discomfort in some people,” according to company officials. “Our high quality a2 Milk comes from cows that produce only the natural A2 protein and no A1. It is easier on digestion and may help some avoid stomach discomfort. Feel the difference.”

Consumers can enjoy an alternative to traditional milk without compromising or sacrificing on textures and flavors as “a2 Milk has the same nutrition and creamy, great taste as regular dairy milk,” according to the company. “a2 Milk comes from cows that naturally produce only the A2 protein rather than the combination of A1 and A2 proteins contained in most dairy products,” according to a company press release. “Published research suggests a2 Milk that naturally contains the A2 protein may help avoid stomach discomfort in some people. That feature, as well as strong sales in the overall premium milk category, has helped the company achieve multiple years of double-digit growth including a remarkable 30 percent growth rate in the US in its last fiscal year.”

American consumers have experienced if a2 Milk can alleviate their symptoms brought on by traditional milk since 2015. A2 Milk is available in 27,000 grocery, mass and specialty stores such as Kroger, Walmart, Publix, Safeway, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Ahold, ShopRite, Wegmans and Target.

Neutral Foods

“There are two reasons why Neutral set out to become the first carbon neu- tral food company in the US,” said Jim Jarman, VP of Product and Commercialization at Neutral Foods. “The first reason is that it's the right thing to do—for the planet, consumers, and our farm partners. Globally, 37 percent of emissions are related to food production and supply chain, and we know farmers are critical in reducing this impact. Sometimes farmers can get caught in the crosshairs, but by and large, good farmers are some of the original stewards of the land. They want to do the right thing and often need the right resources. On-farm, climate-reducing projects are an area where Neutral can help. We partner with great farmers to provide technical expertise, funding, project management, data management, verification, etc.”

Another reason stemmed from Neutral Foods identifying the disconnect between shoppers wanting to make mindful choices and the lack of products to support those decisions. “Consumers want to make sustainable food choices but haven't always had options," Jarman continued. "To increase consumer adoption, Neutral realizes the importance of meeting consumer needs, and the vast majority are consuming dairy and animal agriculture-based proteins. Neutral provides a carbon neutral solution because of the work we're doing together with farmers and ranchers to implement climate-smart farming practices within the food supply chain.”

Neutral Foods employed several pivotal manufacturing practices and initiatives to meet its sustainability goals last year. “First, we start with an in-depth measurement of the complete lifecycle footprint of our products, from the fertilizer in the fields to work on the farm and in the packaging plants to the transportation to the grocery store,” Jarman said. “We know exactly how much impact we need to neutralize from these products. The most important work we do also sets us apart: on-farm projects. Neutral works with excellent farmers who are already doing many things right. For example, their pasture-focused farming practices already help sustain soil health and ensure high animal welfare standards. We collaborate with them to implement on-farm projects that either reduce or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or actively sequester more carbon from the environment. These projects fall into three general categories: feed and forage solutions help reduce enteric methane generated as the cows turn their forage into delicious, nutritious dairy; manure and nutrient management practices that reduce GHG emissions; and sequestration projects that actively capture carbon on the farm.”

“Neutral has more than a dozen active projects at different stages of development, and we'll more than double our on-farm projects in 2023,” he added.

Organic Valley

Organic Valley started in response to farmers in the Coulee region being pressured to expand and ramp up production and were subsequently run out when they didn’t adhere to a new agricultural system that demanded them to “get big, or get out.”

Farms refused to bend and refused to become industrial farmers that tolerated chemical farming. One farmer, George Siemon, encouraged neighboring farmers to unite to find a better way to move forward and farm sustainably. “Family farmers filled the county courthouse and we all agreed: There had to be a better way—a more sustainable way—to continue farming like we always had. In a way that protects the land, animals, economy and people’s health. And that’s how our farmer-owned cooperative was born,” according to the company website. “We were on a mission to change the way people think about food. We set high organic standards for ourselves—standards that eventually served as framework for the USDA’s organic rules.”

Within the year, they started selling organic dairy. Consumers could tell the difference and demand for organic foods grew along with neighboring farmers’ interest in joining the co-op. As the co-op grew and its reach surpassed the Coulee Region, they rebranded and became Organic Valley. “We soon emerged as the nation’s leading producer of organic dairy,” said the Organic Valley website.