Sustainability, plant and environmental issues at Arla: podcast interview

Talk to food manufacturing, Wilkinson criticized animal agriculture and the potential damage it could cause to the environment through the creation of greenhouse gases.

He described the balance that needed to be struck between achieving and realizing Arla’s climate ambitions – and recognizing areas where more could be done – with keeping the nation fed.

Nutritional needs ​

“It’s also about making sure that from a nutritional point of view, dairy plays such a positive role for humans that it should also be factored into this argument,”he explained.

Wilkinson then discussed the work Arla has done to build sustainability for its farmer owners, as well as the steps it has taken to reduce emissions from productions and reduce food waste by replacing best before dates with best before dates. expiration. on the milk.

“The other areas we looked at were packaging, so since 2015 we have reduced our use of plastic in our milk bottles by just over 25%, saving 12,000 tonnes of plastic”,he added.

Bio-based cardboard​

“Lacto-Free, another of our brands, has also switched to bio-based cardboard also made from renewable materials. Our overall total packaging target is 100% recyclable by 2025 and 0% virgin plastic used in our packaging by 2030.”​

The impact of the growing plant-based movement and what it meant for Arla was also discussed in this podcast interview. Ultimately, Wilkinson still saw a place for dairy in the future of people’s diets, but the company was also exploring plant-based options.

Meanwhile, the government must build on its food strategy white paper by supporting the expansion of dairy trade in the UK and export markets,​According to Arla Foods UK boss Ash Amirahmadi.