Arla is taking its sustainability credentials to the next level by joining forces with a number of partners to launch the Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FreSH) program – aimed to better define guidelines on sustainable diets, redefine food production, reshape food consumption and evaluate a sustainable footprint for food transport.

Arla already takes part in work linking food, health and sustainability across science, business, civil society and policy through EAT Foundation. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has joined Arla and EAT to announce the launch of the FReSH program.

Some of the key drivers behind FReSH include the growing number of people with obesity or  malnutrition around the world as well as today’s consumers who are much more interested in personalized nutrition and eating sustainable food with respect for the environment, the climate and making sure it comes from good labor practices.

”Consumers are at the heart of all of Arla’s activities and only by responding to their needs closely are we able to provide food, innovative solutions and great inspiration for a healthy everyday life,” says Kristian Østerling Eriknauer, vice president of CSR within Arla.

“FReSH brings together business and science to define a future in which everyone can choose to enjoy healthy and affordable food, which is sustainably produced. It is natural for Arla to contribute based on our experience with sustainable dairy production practices and knowledge of the high nutritional value of dairy products.”

FReSH will help Arla and other companies and institutions, like the Lancet Committee, to influence and develop solutions for food production and consumption globally.

“Achieving complex goals requires all the relevant stakeholders at the table. It is extremely important for Arla to engage in a dialogue about the change we would like to see in the world. That is why we are very pleased to be part of this program and we believe that together we can make a difference,” adds Eriknauer.

Arla’s Sustainable Dairy Farming program already sees the company working closely with its dairy farmer-owners in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Swiss manufacturer of flavors and fragrances Givaudan has joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a global organization of more than 200 leading businesses and partners working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world, and will participate in FReSH.

“Givaudan is proud to join WBCSD, a key global platform whose sustainability objectives are closely aligned with our 2020 strategy of ‘responsible growth, shared success’,” says Gilles Andrier, CEO Givaudan. “By participating in FReSH, we will contribute to transforming global food systems for improved sustainability and health while gaining insight into the evolving needs of our customers.”

Peter Bakker, President and CEO, WBCSD adds: “Clear science-based targets will help businesses create ambitious yet implementable solutions, which can then be brought forward to guide policy makers to provide the framework for local or global food systems transformation.”
 
In line with Givaudan’s sustainability commitments and supporting its 2020 strategic pillar of growing with customers, Givaudan will work as a member of the WBCSD and FReSH towards the project vision of reaching a healthy, enjoyable diet for all, produced responsibly within planetary boundaries.