2 As one of Europe’s largest dairy cooperatives with farmer owners in seven European countries, Arla Foods is committed to sustainable dairy production. I am proud that Arla and many of our peers across Europe have stepped up to the sustainability challenge. But we also know there is more to do. The public and political debate around sustainable food production continues to evolve and there are many, and often competing views on what action is needed to address the challenges. As a leading European dairy, we felt it was important to take a step back and really understand the current landscape, as well as the challenges and the opportunities facing the dairy sector taking into consideration the views of a number of stakeholders from across the value chain, from outside the dairy industry and within academia. As a farmer owned cooperative, this collaborative culture is part of Arla’s DNA. We wanted to understand what can be done to ensure and strengthen a bright and sustainable future for the dairy sector and not least what we can all do to meet the changing expectations of the public – as dairy processors, as farmers, as governments and as civil society. It was important to us to have an honest and realistic appraisal of the future of the European dairy industry that recommended practical actions. And we wanted an independent third party to carry out this research, so we were pleased to be able to commission the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) to do this important work. The report clearly sets out the challenges. But it is also clear how much the dairy sector gives back to Europe and how complex and interlinked sustainability is when looking at the social, economic and environmental pillars. We need to take all these elements of dairy’s role into account in the ongoing discussions about how Europe and its food sector should transition into a sustainable continent in terms of economy, environment, health and quality of life as outlined in the European Commission’s Green Deal. I hope this report is a valuable contribution to this discussion. Together with our 9,900 farmer owners, Arla Foods has a great sense of responsibility to lead the dairy sector. We will continue to play our part in taking the necessary action and establishing the essential partnerships. If we work closely together as an industry with governments, interest groups and consumers, I am confident that we can create a sustainable future for the European dairy sector. Peder Tuborgh CEO Arla Foods
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