Arla Foods launches Arlagården in the UK

• Arlagården supports Red Tractor and introduces a further sixteen standards including use of antibiotics and medicines
• Arla’s British farmers join their European co-owners in producing milk to same standards that can be marketed for export purposes
• Over 300 vets across the UK attended Arlagarden seminars
• 60 farmer workshops have commenced to help Arla farmers to focus on reducing use of antibiotics

October sees the UK roll-out of Arla Foods’s farm assurance programme, Arlagården, which focuses on milk quality, food safety and animal welfare. Already in operation in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, the assurance programme ensures all 12,700 Arla farmers are assessed to the same standards.

Arlagården protects and enhances Arla’s reputation for supplying quality milk in its home markets. In addition, it increases Arla’s ability to compete globally as export countries have the reassurance the milk has been produced to the same high standards.

In the UK, Arla and Red Tractor have worked closely together during the development of Arlagården and Arla is fully supportive of the existing Red Tractor scheme. Arla farmers will continue to meet the Red Tractor requirements but in order to implement Arlagården and its additional 16 standards efficiently and effectively across the 3,000 UK farmers who supply Arla; both schemes will be assessed at the same time.

David Clarke, Red Tractor Chief Executive, said: “We welcome Arla's continued, long-term commitment to the Red Tractor scheme. We have worked in partnership with Arla to ensure Red Tractor continues to be at the core of dairy farm assurance assessments for Arla farmers and that they are delivered in an efficient way, specifically to avoid any duplication.

“We are also delighted Arla is extending its use of the Red Tractor logo on its branded products, demonstrating that Red Tractor is core to the business and that it is committed to communicating Red Tractor credentials to shoppers."

Angela Rhodes, Arla farmer-owner and member of the Arla amba Board of Representatives, said: “As owners of Arla, our responsibility doesn’t end at the farm gate, but goes all the way from cow to consumer. Arlagården is our way of ensuring that every litre of our milk is produced to high standards.”

The most significant of the additional standards relates to the use of antibiotics. Arlagården places emphasis on ensuring farmers work closely with their vet to ensure that antibiotics are used as little as possible, but as much as necessary. Arlagården will require farmers to only use antibiotics for curing or alleviating diseases and illness rather than for preventive purposes.

Arlagården will play a significant role in supporting Arla’s responsible sourcing principles that contribute to its farmer-owned marque. Successfully launched across Europe in August, the marque provides consumers with the reassurance that Arla’s dairy products are from a responsible farmer-owned business where all the profits go back to its owners and are produced with the highest expectations for animal welfare and environmental standards throughout its supply chain.

Ash Amirahmadi, head of milk and member services, Arla Foods UK, said: “Arlagården is an independently audited standard that proves our farmers’ commitment to producing quality milk, caring for their cows and using antibiotics and medicines responsibly. This will reassure consumers that a little extra care every step of the way means they can trust that our products are of high quality, natural, tasty and healthy.”

As part of the preparation towards the roll-out, Arla has carried out a series of meetings with over 300 vets to discuss the new standards. In addition, Arla is in the process of running sixty workshops with farmers specifically focussing on antibiotic use.

Peter Edmondson, Arla’s consultant vet, said: “It is absolutely crucial that Arla farmers work closely with their vets to agree how they will meet the new standards relating to antibiotics. We’ve taken the opportunity to meet with vets to outline Arla’s approach so they are in a position to support Arla farmers along the way. This is just the beginning of our journey and it is essential that we build on these foundations to deliver the standards in the long term.”

Arla Foods is a global dairy company and co-operative owned by dairy farmers circa 3,000 of whom are British.

Dating back to 1881, Arla’s purpose is to secure the highest value for its farmers’ milk, while creating opportunities for their growth. With production facilities in 11 countries and sales offices in a further 30, Arla is the world’s sixth largest dairy company and largest supplier of organic dairy products. Arla has a total of more than 18,000 colleagues and its products are sold under the well-known brands Arla®, Lurpak® and Castello® in more than 100 countries.

Arla Foods UK is the largest dairy company in the country and is home to leading dairy brands Anchor, Cravendale, and Lactofree. It has a turnover of £2.3 billion. As well as being number one in fresh liquid milk, butter, spreads and cream, Arla is the UK’s largest cheese manufacturer. It has also built the world’s largest fresh milk facility located at Aylesbury and has plans for it to be the first zero carbon site of its kind. The UK business has a team of approximately 3,500 colleagues located at its dairies, distribution centres and head office.