Arla
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Dairy
Europe's largest dairy company. Established in the spring of 2000 through the merger between the Danish MD Foods and the Swedish Arla, Arla Foods is a co-operative owned by approx. 7,200 Swedish and 8,300 Danish milk producers.
Arla Foods amba | DNK | website |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Arla Foods amba | ||||
This company received a score of 21.5 out of a possible total of 24 in the WWF Soy Scorecard 2016, which rates companies on their use of responsible soy, grown without damaging the environment and harming people.
Source: WWF Soy Scorecard 2025 (2016)
The 2019 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report ranks global food companies on how they are managing and reporting their farm animal welfare policies and practices. This company appeared in tier 3, "Established but work to be done", with tier 1 being the best, and tier 6 the worst.
Source: BBFAW (2019) |
This company is named and shamed in IBFAN's 2017 report, 'Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2017', evidence of violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, compiled from June 2014 to June 2017. The report covers 792 Code violations from 79 countries and by 28 companies.
Source: IBFAN (2017) |
This company has been criticised for irresponsible advertising. In 2016 the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints about a press ad for organic milk by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ASA concluded the claim "Good for the land ... helping to support a more sustainable future" was misleading. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Authority (2016)
This company is a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, the main food industry initiative supporting the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide. Created by Nestle, Unilever and Danone in 2002, the SAI Platform is a non-profit organization to facilitate sharing, at precompetitive level, of knowledge and initiatives to support the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices involving the different stakeholders of the food chain.
Source: SAI Platform (2019)
The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soy, beef, leather, timber and paper). This company received a score of 43%.
Source: Forest 500 (2019)
The WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard 2019 assesses 173 companies on the commitments they have made, and the actions they have taken, to ensure that there is no destruction of nature including no deforestation along their supply chains; and support a responsible and sustainable palm oil industry beyond their own supply chain. This company is rated 'middle of the pack' with a score of 11.4 out of a possible total of 22.
Source: WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard 2019 (2019)
The Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) is a global initiative that evaluates the world's largest food and beverage manufacturers on their policies, practices and performance related to undernutrition and obesity. Of the 22 companies ranked this company came 11th.
Source: Access to Nutrition Foundation (2018)
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: Modern Slavery Registry (2018) |
Company Details
Type | Co-operative |
Revenue | US$8.9 billion in 2010 |
Employees | 18,112 in 2013 |
Subsidiaries | Tholstrup Cheese AS ![]() Cheese makers and exporters Acquired by Arla in 2006. Tholstrup and Castello cheeses are imported into Australia by Manassen Foods. Arla Foods Mayer Australia Pty Ltd (51% owned) ![]() Dairy products marketing and distributing Joint venture between European dairy giant Arla and Australia's largest cheese importer, F. Mayer Imports, which kicked off in 2015. |
Contact Details
Address | Viby, Denmark |
Website | www.arla.com |
Products / Brands
Arla Foods Mayer Australia (51% owned)
Apetina Cheese Castello Cheese Harmonie ![]() Lurpak Butter & Margarine Mayers Cheese Rosenborg Cheese Singletons Cheese Tholstrup Cheese Viking Cheese |