Arla Foods, recognised as one of Denmark's largest food producers and a global leader in the industry, aims to bring its transformative initiatives to the forefront of the international stage at COP28 in Dubai.

 

Kim Villadsen, Senior Vice President and Head of Mena, said: "Arla continuously tries to accelerate its sustainability actions and engagements, and for that, we were present at COP27 blue zone and will also be present in COP28 blue zone within the Danish Pavilion. Our main focus areas at COP 28 will revolve around scope 3 emission reductions in collaboration with key customers, methane emissions, and how the industry is coming together on this, and finally, regenerative farming practices.”

 

He shed light on Arla's commendable sustainability initiatives and its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. 

 

Ambitious targets

“We are working across our entire operation to reduce our carbon footprint, and we have ambitious targets in place that are approved by The Science Based Targets Initiative and in line with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. In our scope 1 and 2, we plan to reduce emissions by 63 % by 2030 (compared to the 2015 baseline). For example, by using renewable energy at sites and offices and switching to fossil-free alternatives in our logistics. In scope 3, which includes on-farm emissions, the target is a 30 % reduction in emissions per kilo of milk by 2030 (also compared to the 2015 baseline). 

 

“Most recently, we have implemented a point-based model by rewarding farmers who engage the most in sustainable actions on farms and motivating them not just to continue but to accelerate their efforts in creating a better future for the dairy industry.  Arla Foods aims to be carbon net zero by 2050,” Villadsen stated. 

 

In the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, Arla Foods manufactures 70% of its products within GCC markets, reflecting a strong commitment to localised production. Villadsen explained: "With the presence of our two Dairy manufacturing sites in Bahrain and Saudi, we are proud to have 70 % of the products we sell in Mena being produced within the GCC markets. Mena as a region stands for approximately 7 % of total Arla group revenue in 2022.”

 

He added: "In 2022, Arla’s total group revenue was 13.8 billion euros ($14.6 billion). The Danish market accounted for approximately 8.8% of that.” 

 

Global sustainability efforts

As a global leader, Arla Foods is not only contributing to Denmark's economy but also spearheading sustainability efforts that resonate on a global scale.

 

As for future expansion, Villadsen said: “We are continuously monitoring the possibilities and have big growth ambitions for the Mena region. It started with the establishment of our two dairy sites in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where we are always looking into production line expansion, followed by our recent acquisition of the Kraft cheese portfolio in Mena, which is another good example.”--TradeArabia News Service