Arla launches initiative to promote its farmer owners

Arla is kicking off a new long-term initiative this month to make it clear to its consumers that the company is owned by farmers.

Part of the initiative is a new product marque, which will begin to feature on the packaging of several Arla® products already from September, spreading to most of Arla’s portfolio in the following weeks and months as packaging is naturally replaced.

“We want to make it clear that Arla is the farmers’ company. The farmer ownership means that all of Arla’s earnings go back to its farmer owners and that the owners take an active part in creating value for our consumers. They deliver the natural taste, the high quality and the animal welfare. This is what you get and support when you buy an Arla® product,” says Peder Tuborgh, CEO in Arla.

This week will see Arla’s new marque appear on the first of its milk tankers, part of the fleet which collects well over 3billion litres of milk per year from Arla’s 3,000 British farmer owners.

Consumers are increasingly interested in the origin of the products they put into their shopping carts – how it’s produced, how the cows and environment are treated and who they support when buying the product. Based on this, more and more people are actively taking a stand when they select their dairy brand.

Arla focused on maintaining a long-term sustainable milk supply

“Arla is the farmers. It’s we, the farmer owners, who every day work to ensure that your Arla product is made with care in every step. However, many consumers don’t know this about Arla. We want to make this clear, because we are proud of our cooperative and the milk we provide,” says Åke Hantoft, chairman of Arla and one of the Company’s 12,747 farmer owners.

Currently, the financial situation is tough for dairy farmers across Europe due to very low milk prices in the global market.

“It’s important for us to create awareness that when you buy an Arla product you support dairy farmers, not a group of shareholders with little or no association to dairy farming. Our main focus is to maintain a long-term sustainable milk supply, which is high quality and includes animal welfare,” says Åke Hantoft.

The on-pack marque will be followed with activities on social media, websites and events that Arla is initiating to strengthen the “farmer owned” message.