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Arla Foods amba

Arla

Arla Foods is a major European dairy cooperative owned by over 7,000 farmers.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Barry Cowen (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

11 Nov 2025 · Meeting with Arla Foods

Meeting with Gijs Schilthuis (Director Agriculture and Rural Development) and Nestlé S.A. and

18 Mar 2025 · Exchange of views on the Vision for EU agriculture; discussion on the role of regenerative agriculture, benchmarking, public-private actions and access to finance in the context of transition

Meeting with Christophe Hansen (Commissioner) and

18 Mar 2025 · Exchange of views on the Vision for EU agriculture; discussion on the role of regenerative agriculture, benchmarking, public-private actions and access to finance in the context of transition

Meeting with Antonella Rossetti (Cabinet of Commissioner Christophe Hansen)

5 Dec 2024 · social sustainability, animal welfare, GHG emission reduction, remuneration of farmers for environmentally action

Meeting with Benoit Cassart (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Dec 2024 · Prise de contact

Meeting with András Tivadar Kulja (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Dec 2024 · Dairy production in Europe

Meeting with Pekka Toveri (Member of the European Parliament) and Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Federation (Elintarviketeollisuusliitto ry)

4 Dec 2024 · Current Topics in EU politics

Meeting with Dario Nardella (Member of the European Parliament) and LEGACOOP AGROALIMENTARE - Associazione Nazionale delle Cooperative Agroitticoalimentari per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Costiero

4 Dec 2024 · Priorities of the next CAP

Meeting with Stefan Köhler (Member of the European Parliament) and Lubrizol

3 Dec 2024 · Politischer Austausch

Meeting with André Rodrigues (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Dec 2024 · Prespectives for the sustainability of the European dairy sector

Meeting with Janusz Wojciechowski (Commissioner) and Federación española de Industrias de Alimentación y Bebidas and

28 Oct 2024 · Agri food trade barriers

Meeting with Norbert Lins (Member of the European Parliament) and Philip Morris International Inc.

11 Sept 2024 · Exchange on relevant topics for the new legislative period

Meeting with Daniel Buda (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Apr 2024 · Agricultural transition towards more sustainable practices

Meeting with Clara Aguilera (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Feb 2024 · sustainability incentive models

Meeting with Asger Christensen (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Dec 2023 · Agriculture

Arla Foods urges EU to fund regenerative dairy farming

3 Nov 2023
Topic — This consultation concerns a legislative proposal for monitoring, protecting, and restoring healthy EU soils.
Message — The group advocates for an "outcome based approach" that gives farmers flexibility in management practices. They also request that the EU formally recognize regenerative agriculture as a best practice. Finally, they urge the Commission to provide "future grants" to cover the costs of soil monitoring.123
Why — This would shield dairy farmers from the high costs associated with new soil testing requirements.4
Impact — Environmental monitoring accuracy may suffer if nitrogen is removed as a key soil health indicator.5
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Arla Foods urges clearer definitions and longer green claims transition

21 Jul 2023
Topic — This consultation addresses how companies substantiate environmental claims and use green labels.
Message — Arla Foods encourages decision makers to provide further clarity in the definitions. They suggest the proposal should reference the specific dairy environmental footprint methodology. The group also recommends extending the transition period to provide enough time to comply.123
Why — Following a single methodology would ensure legal certainty and transparency for the company.4
Impact — Consumers face a delay in receiving environmental information if the application period is extended.5
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Meeting with Lukas Visek (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

15 May 2023 · Transition to sustainable food systems

Meeting with Maciej Golubiewski (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

15 May 2023 · Meeting with ARLA Foods Board of Directors

Arla Foods urges simple carbon removal rules for dairy farmers

20 Mar 2023
Topic — The European Commission is proposing a regulatory framework for certifying carbon removals.
Message — Arla Foods advocates for simple methodologies to minimize administrative burdens for farmers. They suggest the framework recognize past efforts and include various emission reduction activities.123
Why — Simplifying rules and rewarding past actions would reduce costs for cooperative members.45
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Meeting with Elsi Katainen (Member of the European Parliament)

23 May 2022 · dairy industry innovations

Meeting with Annukka Ojala (Cabinet of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides), Karolina Herbout-Borczak (Cabinet of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides)

16 Mar 2022 · Sustainable Food Systems

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski) and European Biogas Association and Common Futures. Energy Transition Specialists B.V.

23 Feb 2022 · Biomethane

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President) and Bayer AG and

3 Dec 2021 · Discussion on investments into carbon removals with business representatives

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

25 Nov 2021 · carbon farming and regenerative farming

Meeting with Lukas Visek (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

25 Nov 2021 · Sustainable food systems

Response to Sustainable food system – setting up an EU framework

26 Oct 2021

Arla Foods welcomes the opportunity to give input to the Commission roadmap on sustainable food systems. As a farmer owned dairy cooperative with responsibility for the whole value chain, our sustainability strategy is designed around a food system approach. A sustainable food system framework has the potential to become an enabler for an accelerated transition to a more sustainable food system if it creates a clear direction, a level playing field and builds confidence across the sector to continue investing in research and innovation. However, a poorly designed framework could have the opposite effect; creating confusion, excluding critical actors from developing the solutions for tomorrow and reducing long term food security and safety. To avoid these negative outcomes and deliver a framework which creates the right conditions for a just sustainable transition within the food system we would like the following to be considered: The starting point for the EU framework and definition of a sustainable food system should be the FAO/WHO’s definition. This would avoid confusion, build on the positive work of the FAO in creating a holistic overview of the food system and recognize the important role the EU food sector has in delivering a sustainable global food system. The framework should not prejudge which foods are sustainable or not. As the impact assessment highlights, the aim of the framework is to support the journey towards a more sustainable food system. Therefore, it will be important that the framework continues to recognize the critical role of all basic food groups, such as dairy has in providing high quality and affordable nutrition while supporting the sector’s sustainability transition. The framework should support national dietary guidelines. These are based on many years of scientific research on what is truly healthy eating patterns, are recognized by consumers and in some cases, also factor in wider sustainability criteria. Any sustainability labelling proposal that develops from the framework needs to consider and reflect the nutritional quality of the product and the full sustainability impact and benefits. Arla supports an aligned approach to create a level playing field in quantifying and communicating on the different sustainability credentials, driven by the market. It is also important to note that it requires an impact assessment that will cover the entire supply chain from the producers to the consumers. As with the EU food safety and food security legislative and policy environment, which has evolved over time to reflect developments in e.g. science, technology, and consumers behavior, the framework should recognize the evolving nature of sustainability. It should provide flexibility for actors within the food system to adapt to changing economic, social and environmental conditions. The transition to a more sustainable food system comes with a cost. It is critical that the framework strikes the right balance between policy incentives, legislation and financial support. This will ensure confidence remains in the food sector and it continues to attract the levels of investment and innovation needed to deliver the sustainability transition along the value chain. As the sustainable food system framework is developed, we would encourage the Commission to engage widely across the food sector in order to capture the industry’s expertise, good practices and insights into market conditions within the EU27 and globally. We would welcome the opportunity to further share our experience of delivering an ambitious global sustainability strategy from farm to fork and our approach to partnerships, research and innovation alongside elaborating on the issues we raise above.
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Response to Restoring sustainable carbon cycles

7 Oct 2021

Arla Foods welcomes the opportunity to give input to the Commission roadmap and supports the Commission’s overarching initiative to develop the sustainability agenda. As one of the largest dairy companies in the EU and cooperatively owned by more than 9000 dairy farmers in seven European countries, Arla Foods endorses the focus on restoring sustainable carbon cycles as part of the ambitious EU goals and initiatives within the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork Strategy. Arla Foods has set ambitious Science Based Targets (SBT), aiming to cut emissions along our value chain by 30% by 2030, and we are now exploring how we can start quantifying and reporting on carbon removals to achieve our long-term ambition of carbon net-zero in 2050. We recognize the fundamental impact EU regulation has on achieving these targets and are eager to contribute to the development of regulatory frameworks and incentives to promote the transition. It is for example important to explore synergies and identify potential tradeoffs with private sector initiatives such as voluntary market carbon credits, to capture commercial opportunities for the sector. We agree on the points made by the European Dairy Association on the overall contribution of dairy farming to sustainable food systems, including maintaining natural carbon sinks in pasture lands and the potential of further increasing carbon sequestration in soils and ecosystems on dairy farms. We want to further highlight opportunities of dairy farms that can contribute to the circular economy through the use of manure in biogas production where it can be co-digested with other safe and high-quality substrates, delivering both renewable energy and circulation of nutrients and carbon back to the farms. We have launched a Climate Check tool offered to all owners where they can calculate the farm carbon footprint, benchmark performance and identify both strengths and improvement opportunities. We are working to include carbon sequestration into the calculations, through developing an industry-wide methodology together with experts and peers. In parallel, we are exploring regenerative dairy farming practices that can further improve soil health, carbon sequestration, biodiversity and other ecosystem services on owner farms. It is a farmer-led pilot program consisting of 24 farms, organic and conventional, across four owner countries. We strongly believe in collaboration with owners in designing programs that will deliver the sought outcomes in ways that make sense on farm. We will also be launching soil health checks and biodiversity checks on all organic owner farms, gathering data from more than 900 farms on status and potential for further improvements. We are convinced that these initiatives, combined with our work on reducing emissions, will give valuable insights into how to restore sustainable carbon cycles and deliver on net-zero ambitions. Arla Foods would be happy to provide further information to the above-mentioned and assist the Commission with relevant data.
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Meeting with Lukas Visek (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

7 Jul 2021 · Sustainable food systems

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

21 Jun 2021 · Arla’s Climate Check programme

Meeting with Laure Chapuis (Cabinet of Commissioner Kadri Simson)

5 May 2021 · To discuss ongoing developments around key energy dossiers relevant for Arla including Methane Strategy, RED II revision, bioeconomy and biogas.

Meeting with Annukka Ojala (Cabinet of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides), Karolina Herbout-Borczak (Cabinet of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides)

21 Apr 2021 · VC Meeting - Sustainable Food Systems

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

7 Dec 2020 · To discuss the Commission’s political priorities around F2F, the positioning of agriculture and farming aspects in the overall strategy as well as the wider and positive role of dairy in healthy and sustainable diets in the EU.

Response to Action plan for the development of EU organic production

23 Oct 2020

Arla Foods is the fifth-largest dairy company in the world and a cooperative owned by 10,000 dairy farmers across the EU. We are also the largest producer of organic dairy products in the world. Arla is passionate about organic dairy farming with 10% of Arla’s business dedicated to organic. There is strong evidence to show the benefits of organic dairy farming to the rural landscape and environment including greater biodiversity, soil health and carbon sequestration. Arla therefore welcomes the European Commission’s action plan to drive investment and innovation in sustainable farming, respond to increased consumer interest and boost demand for organic food. We believe that organic dairy has a major positive role to play as part of a holistic solution for organic food and farming policy in Europe. However, to be successful it is essential that this be market-driven. Despite growing consumer preferences when it comes to organic milk, the demand is currently flat in many markets. For this reason the EU’s goal of reaching 25% organic farmland by 2030 appears at present unrealistic. Below we outline some broad policy recommendations to consider. Promote market-driven growth: Efforts to create a pan-European, one-size-fits-all regulatory approach should be avoided. Instead, a set of industry principles that are highly progressive will help establish a clear industry vision, foster market-driven growth and create a wider structure for the organic market to grow. Clarify standards: There are strong regional variations on organic products, including dairy, which have caused a fragmentation of the organic landscape including over 20 different organic standards in Europe. We urge policymakers to conduct an analysis of the organic landscape including all public and private standards in order to clarify standards for consumers and market players. Better promote benefits of organic: A greater understanding of environmental and health benefits of organic must be made including use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, the notion of regenerative agriculture, resource efficiency, soil health and biodiversity, and awareness raising around the safety of Western organic produce abroad. We urge policymakers to commit more funding to R&I into benefits of organic farming. Support organic sales in third markets: Obstacles to global market such as standards, certifications, costs and red tape vis-à-vis customs or export paperwork can be highly prohibitive to organic producers. We recommend strengthening the competitiveness of the EU organic sector abroad by providing greater export assistance and promotion opportunities. Reduce risk for organic farmers: There is a higher exposure to risk for organic dairy farmers due to long conversion times (approx. 24 months) and startup costs. Arla recognizes these risks and helps its farmer owners by paying the organic milk price in the final six months of conversion. This has been critical to growing our organic business. We urge policymakers to consider greater financing to farmers during conversion which would also incentivize greater take-up to organic. Help increase supply of source inputs: Organic farmers face prohibitive costs for source inputs, including animal feed, which often come from outside the EU. This adds to the carbon footprint of organic and goes against the perception of organic as locally produced. We urge policymakers to support greater innovation and diversification of the animal feed chain, and support the development of more EU sourced inputs, including more extreme weather resistant feed. it is also important to ensure a consistent system of derogations on feed across the EU should they be needed. Incentivise environmental measures: There should be greater incentives created for organic farmers to convert land to reduce or capture carbon emissions. Economic incentives linked to performance and impact must be considered to bring on board or convert farmers to organic.
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Arla Foods urges EU to prioritize biogas in methane strategy

5 Aug 2020
Topic — The EU is developing a strategy to reduce methane emissions from various sectors.
Message — Arla requests that biogas production becomes a core pillar of the strategy. They seek financial incentives for farmers and research into reducing enteric fermentation.123
Why — Subsidies and policy support would reduce the costs of Arla's sustainability transition.45
Impact — Natural gas providers may face increased competition as biogas substitutes for fossil fuels.6
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Meeting with Phil Hogan (Commissioner)

16 Nov 2018 · Agri Foods

Meeting with Soren Schonberg (Cabinet of Commissioner Margrethe Vestager)

21 Mar 2018 · EU Current Affairs

Meeting with Miguel Ceballos Baron (Cabinet of Vice-President Cecilia Malmström)

21 Mar 2018 · Ongoing and future trade negotiations in the dairy sector

Meeting with Cristina Rueda Catry (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)

21 Feb 2018 · Future of Agriculture

Meeting with Miguel Ceballos Baron (Cabinet of Vice-President Cecilia Malmström)

20 Mar 2017 · EU dairy sector and trade