Sustainable development goals

We have found that the goal no 2 (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture); goal no 8 (promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all) and goal no 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns) match very well with Arla’s ambition for a more sustainable development.

Given the diverse and overlapping nature of the SDGs we also contribute to the achievement of a number of other goals such as the goal no 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages); goal no 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), goal no 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts), goal no 15 (Life on land) and finally goal no 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development).

Arla has set ambitions related to what we produce and how we produce it, and we have committed to respecting and promoting human rights across our operations.

Arla Foods joined the UN Global Compact in 2008 and has reported on progress in relation to its 10 principles since then. We also participate in organisations such as the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, The GDP and the IDF, where we contribute to discussions and initiatives related to agricultural and industry practices.

In our Corporate Responsibility Report for 2016, we linked our activities to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the first time. Since then, we have carried out a range of initiatives and introduced an updated strategy that is aligned with the SDGs. In our most recent report, we continue to reference the SDGs and relate our ambitions, targets and reported results to relevant SDGs and sub-targets.