WE’RE SUPPORTING OUR FARMERS TO DELIVER AGAINST SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRINCIPLES THROUGH THE MÜLLER ADVANTAGE PROGRAMME
OUR TRUSTED SUPPLYING FARMS
We work with 1,300 trusted farms across the Britain and we’re proud to work with some of the very best in the world. But farming is facing many challenges, and consumers are increasingly thinking more about what we buy, where it came from, and how it was made. As a business, we have a responsibility to support farmers now and into the future. By helping them to proactively address a range of important issues and maintain a sustainable focus on their animals and land, farmers can be a big part of the solution to these challenges.
We work collaboratively with farmers through our dedicated expert agriculture team. This team exists to support the wellbeing and productivity of our farmers, provide help and advice on farming issues, and drive progress in the measurement and improvement of their environmental impact. This is just one of the ways we help keep farming thriving.
THE MÜLLER ADVANTAGE PROGRAMME
We support our farmers through our incentivised Müller Advantage Programme. The programme helps develop and enhance farming knowledge and skills to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead, tackle a range of important issues and provide farmers with the tools and support they need to run successful, sustainable farms. 99% of Müller Direct farmers have signed up to this innovative programme.
With the support of the Advantage Programme, farmers can proactively address responsible sourcing, cow health and environmental issues, while also tapping into initiatives that promote collaborative partnerships to meet customer needs. For example, by using new technologies and the latest science, we’re working with our farmers to reduce their emissions by 30% by 2030.
REDUCING EMISSIONS ON OUR FARMS
Through the Müller Advantage Programme we’re helping our farmers reduce their farms’ carbon emissions by 30% by 2030.
Many of our farmers are already taking action to reduce their environmental impact by using renewable energy, changing farming practices, or by improving the quality of cow feed to reduce methane emissions. We’re helping them to go further by equipping them with new tools and knowledge, and by collecting data at farm level, so we can identify even more opportunities for emissions reduction and pave the way for low-carbon farming.
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Taking a regenerative approach to agriculture means we employ agricultural practices which give back to the environment by regenerating the soil, promoting biodiversity and improving the water cycle. The main principles of regenerative agriculture are:
1. Don’t unnecessarily disturb soil
2. Keep soil surfaces covered (with grass, for example)
3. Keep living roots in the soil
4. Grow diverse crops
5. Bring grazing animals onto the land (their manure is a great fertiliser!)
Responsible dairy farming goes hand-in-hand with regenerative agriculture, and we’re working with our farmers to employ even more regenerative practices. We believe that healthy soil = healthy environment, which leads to happy people and animals.
OUR APPROACH
How we’re ensuring a more regenerative approach.
Our Müller Advantage Programme supports farmers in choosing regenerative agriculture practices that support biodiversity. Many of our farmers are already
adopting regenerative processes, such as rotational grazing, planting diverse species, trees and hedgerows, and creating wildflower areas where pollinators can thrive. We’re currently developing a process to track all of these great efforts across our supplying farms, which will help promote regenerative farming even more.
THE NEXT GENERATION PROGRAMME
To secure a strong and stable milk supply, and keep farming thriving, we have to keep attracting young, dynamic talent to the industry. This is why we’ve created the Müller Next Generation programme, which supports young farmers and develops their skills, helping them to build sustainable and profitable dairy businesses.
The three-year programme takes 25 farmers on a journey of knowledge, leadership training, people management and business planning, and covers all facets of environment and sustainability. Participants take part in workshops and farm visits, and meet throughout the year to share ideas and best practice.
OUR PROGRESS
We were finalists in the 2021 World Dairy Innovation Awards in the ‘Best sustainability/CSR initiative’ category for our Müller Advantage Programme
We were finalists in the 2021 World Dairy Innovation Awards in the ‘Best sustainability/CSR initiative’ category for our Müller Advantage Programme
We’ve set carbon reduction targets for our farms and are finalising a detailed pathway for success for the future
As part of the Advantage Programme, which is made up of 99% of our supplying farms, farmers are supported with water management, improved biodiversity, and reducing their environmental impact
