Caring for our communities
We create positive social impact and strive to make sustainable dairy the norm.
Through our work, we also contribute to social development and count on the commitment of our suppliers and partners every day – from the farmers who supply our milk to our trading partners to the communities where our farms are located. Only by working together will we be able to create long-term added value and successfully develop our business in an environmentally and socially sustainable way.
In rural regions, in particular, we directly and indirectly create substantial added value and support our milk suppliers in a variety of ways to produce more sustainably. Emmi also endeavours to ensure that all procurement is based on ethical principles and that both human rights and animal welfare are respected in the supply chain (Emmi Supplier Code of Conduct). Specific initiatives and partnerships, such as with WWF Switzerland, round off our social commitment as a primary provider of safe, high-quality and nutritious dairy products to millions of people.
Our 2027 target
We will process 100% sustainable milk worldwide
We want to stand for products made from sustainable milk – in all markets in which we are active. To reach this target, all milk suppliers must meet above-average local standards by 2027. We evaluate this using a scientifically based list of criteria. In our domestic market of Switzerland, where sustainability has long been an important differentiator compared to milk products from other countries, we are committed to further developing the "Sustainable Swiss Milk" industry standard.
> Support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals
We are a pioneer of the “Sustainable Swiss Milk” industry standard. Back in 2016, we set ourselves the goal of only processing sustainably produced cow’s milk in Switzerland. Our commitment contributed to the Swiss dairy industry introducing the joint “Sustainable Swiss Milk” standard in September 2019, which incorporated a large part of our considerations. A Swiss milk supplier must fulfil ten basic and two additional requirements.
Since February 2024, 100% of our Swiss milk suppliers have met the requirements of the “Sustainable Swiss Milk” industry standard and the associated animal welfare and feeding requirements.
Emmi supports the further development of the Swiss industry standard. We are convinced that this will create a decisive competitive advantage for Swiss milk and secure the long-term future of the industry.
Project KlimaStaR Milk
In 2022, we launched the KlimaStaR Milk project for greater climate protection and resource efficiency in Swiss dairy production. The joint project with industry partners Nestlé, aaremilch, the Central Switzerland Milk Producers (ZMP) and research institutes aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% on 230 pilot farms.
In the first two years of the KlimaStaR Milk project, the participating farms were able to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 4.9% and food competition by 19.7%. It is particularly noteworthy that in an in-depth group of 80 farms, competition for land has already been reduced by 12%.
Another significant success of KlimaStaR Milk is the establishment of a broad-based competence network that brings together stakeholders from agriculture, science, industry and politics.
International progress
We are also working with our milk suppliers outside Switzerland to achieve improvements in animal welfare and environmental protection. A criteria catalogue for international application has been developed in collaboration with experts.
Emmi’s subsidiaries Quillayes Surlat in Chile, Kaiku in Spain, Laticínios Porto Alegre in Brazil and Vitalait in Tunisia have applied the criteria catalogue with their milk suppliers. Together, these account for around 45% of the milk volume produced by Emmi. Kaiku and Quillayes Surlat have defined objectives for 2027 based on the results of the criteria catalogue. Quillayes Surlat focuses on sustainable soy, animal welfare and GHG emissions when working with milk suppliers, while Kaiku has set targets for biodiversity and GHG emissions with its milk suppliers. Vitalait’s objectives are still pending, which means the application of the criteria catalogue has been deprioritised in Tunisia. Laticínios Porto Alegre is working to reduce GHG emissions on farms and to develop solutions for sustainable soy.
Bienestar Animal certification at Quillayes Surlat
Emmi’s subsidiary Quillayes Surlat in Chile has set itself the goal of having all its suppliers certified with the animal welfare label Bienestar Animal. Developed by IRTA (Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology) and certified by AENOR, the standard defines the requirements that livestock farms must meet in terms of animal welfare. Twelve different animal welfare criteria are defined within four different areas. The farms are audited annually in accordance with the criteria. Fourteen new farms were certified in the year under review. A total of 80 farms now provide 93% of the milk supply. This makes Quillayes Surlat the first South American company to purchase this animal welfare-certified milk. Additional farms are expected to be certified next year.
Fondation Vitalait supports smallholder farmers in Tunisia
The “Fondation Vitalait” foundation supports the often young dairy farmers, who lack formal training, in improving their working conditions through practical initiatives in the areas of feeding, animal welfare and training. A total of 978 farmers are supported by the foundation, with 52 new milk suppliers joining in 2024. Training in the field (Farmer Field School) is one of the most important measures for increasing yields and farm productivity.
Calculations of all key figures: Methodology for non-financial figures 2024.
