FrieslandCampina Wants to Achieve Climate-Neutral Growth

Dairy multinational Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. is aiming to achieve climate-neutral growth throughout the dairy chain over the coming years. Sustainability is a key prerequisite in the realisation of the company’s business strategy.

Jul 16 2010 --- In its 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, FrieslandCampina outlines its CSR ambitions, policy, related activities and the results achieved in the first year following the merger between Friesland Foods and Campina at the end of 2008.

FrieslandCampina has defined five sustainability themes in which it can make a tangible contribution to this goal: FrieslandCampina in society, Nutrition & Health, Care for the environment, Dedicated employees and Sustainable agriculture. The policy and programmes it has built around these themes are aimed at contributing to economic progress while restricting the environmental impact of its business operations, offering healthy products, encouraging the development of employees and supporting the local communities in which it is active.

Cees ’t Hart, CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina: ‘We are working within the context of our route2020 strategy to achieve climate-neutral growth throughout the dairy chain. We want to do so by working with our member farmers and partners to improve energy efficiency, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and boost the production of renewable energy on our dairy farms. Sustainability is thus a key prerequisite in the realisation of our business strategy.’

Milk and milk products are a vital source of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and milk sugars, and play an important role in the daily nutrition of millions of people the world over. FrieslandCampina’s product range offers the consumer a choice between many different variants, often with a low-energy option in the form of reduced fat or sugar.

Examples include Milner cheese, Optimel/Optiwell, Fristi GST and DubbelFrisss minder zoet. The number of products carrying the ‘I Choose Responsibly’ logo has been expanded over the past year from 176 to 194.

FrieslandCampina is taking steps to make its dairy farms and raw materials streams more sustainable, and has introduced measures to reduce its environmental impact. CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions were reduced in 2009 compared with the year before.

Energy consumption has also declined and the recycling of water is another important priority. A new system, Foqus, has been introduced to uphold product quality and the social aspects of the production process. And the company has high expectations for the purchasing of sustainably produced energy from member farmers in the future.

FrieslandCampina’s CSR report is based on the GRI guidelines (level B) and the Transparency benchmark criteria drawn up by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Both instruments were devised following an extensive consultation process with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and different agencies in a variety of countries.