Carbon neutral milk – how?

In 2020, Arla Foods launched carbon net zero milk in Denmark. But can a dairy product be carbon neutral? The answer is both yes – and no. Here is why.

Arla Foods’ ambition is clear: Carbon net zero by 2050. And while they are constantly improving and reducing their climate impact there are still many challenges to solve. And changing the biological processes involved in dairy production takes time: You cannot just tell a cow not to burp methane into the atmosphere.

But while Arla Foods is working on long term solutions there is a way to create carbon neutral products right here and now. It is called climate compensation and it can be a bit difficult to understand.

But let us dive right in, shall we?

What exactly is climate compensation?

In short, it means that Arla Foods is investing in projects that absorb the same amount of carbon that they are emitting.

The 90 million litres of milk sold each year within the Arla ØKO (organic milk) range emits 123,000 tonnes of CO2e. And that includes all steps from cow to consumer. Arla Foods will now invest in different projects that combined absorb no less than the same amount of CO2e resulting in a total emission of zero. Climate neutrality.

“We and our farmer-owners work hard every day to reduce the climate impact of every litre of Arla milk. We are making great progress and we are among the world’s most climate efficient dairy producers. Climate compensation is a sensible step to take while continuing our efforts,” says Hanne Søndergaard, Executive Vice President for Sustainability.

Source: Arla Foods