Friday, 29 November 2019 09:50

Fonterra releases sustainability report

Written by  Staff Reporters
Chief executive Miles Hurrell says there is still a lot of work ahead. Chief executive Miles Hurrell says there is still a lot of work ahead.

Big changes have been announced in Fonterra’s 2019 Sustainability Report.

Co-firing biomass to reduce coal, lifting the number of New Zealand products with health star ratings and launching an emissions profile for every farm headline the report.

While these and other gains are pleasing and have laid some good foundations for the future, Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says there is still a lot of work ahead.

“Our 2019 Sustainability Report is an important step towards sustainability being at the heart of our business,” says Hurrell.

“Given the tough year we had, it would’ve been easy to push sustainability to one side, whereas we have in fact continued to make progress. We’ve underlined our commitment to the importance of sustainability and firmed up plans to do more on climate change, coal, waste and sustainable packaging.

“The report is a discussion with New Zealanders around the kind of world we want to leave for future generations and how we’re measuring ourselves against that ambition.

“I’m focused on being a part of a New Zealand dairy co-op that’s producing nutrition in a way that cares for people, animals and our environment, and brings value to our communities.”

Carolyn Mortland, Fonterra global sustainability director, says this is Fonterra’s third annual Sustainability Report, and reports against its new triple bottom line of Healthy People, Healthy Environment and Healthy Business.

“Establishing our inaugural Sustainability Advisory Panel is a critical move to helping guide us as we continue to strive to be a world leader in sustainably-produced dairy nutrition,” says Mortland.

Highlights from 2019 include:

  • Healthy People:Fonterra working together to care for people and make a positive impact on society. Whether that’s through rolling out healthier foods, reducing staff injury rates, or serving up 30 million KickStart Breakfasts.
  • Healthy Environment:Fonterra working together to achieve a healthy environment for farming and society. More Fonterra farms now have a Farm Environment Plan and every farm will have an emission profile by end of 2020. The co-op has launched new packaging and waste targets, manufacturing site emissions are down, and it has piloted ways to move sites away from coal.
  • Healthy Business:Fonterra is working together to deliver a sustainable business, such as returning $10 billion to regional New Zealand, introducing a new fixed milk price tool, and reducing its capital spend and debt.

But Moprtland says there’s still a lot more work to do, such as supporting farmers in their response to climate change and doing more to bring greater gender and ethnic diversity into the business. 

“We don’t shy away from the fact that we need to do more against some of our ambitious targets,” Mortland added.

“What is clear is that we made some good progress in a tough year and have set ourselves up for the years ahead.”

More like this

Driving change within Fonterra fleet

Today is International Women’s Day, and this year Fonterra wants to shine a light on the women who defy stereotypes and prosper in traditionally male-dominated fields. Erin Wootten, a tanker operator out of the Fonterra Reparoa Site, is doing just that.

Featured

Govt urged to reduce ETS units

The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as possible.

Dairy sheep, goat woes mount

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Alliance's Pure South cuts win gold

Meat co-operative Alliance Group has bagged four gold medals at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, achieving top honours for every cut entered.

Dairy demand on the rise

There is increasing evidence that dairy demand is on the upswing, according to Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins.

Fert use tumbles as prices spike

Fertiliser use in New Zealand over the 18 months is about 25% down from what it consistently was for the previous decade or more, says Ravensdown chief operating officer Mike Whitty.

National

Waikato dryer sold

An independent milk spray dryer in Hamilton, destined for liquidation, has been bought by a South Auckland goat milk processor.

Machinery & Products

Samasz sets its sights high

Since its arrival in New Zealand, Polish mower manufacturer Samasz, currently celebrating 40 years in business, has carved a niche…

Trojan keeps on going

The DR200 Trojan farm two-wheeler motorcycle was introduced over 28 years ago, when the engineering team at Suzuki New Zealand…

Still going strong!

The saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke -don’t fix it’, so it’s no surprise to see an old favourite in…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

'A complete dog

OPINION: It's not just a rural banking inquiry that farmers want. Freshwater farm plans are another major headache for farmers.

Action, not words

OPINION: The new Government may be farmer friendly, but it's not love, rather action that farmers want.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter