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Agrotech, Company News, IT, World

The collaboration will streamline program enrollment and field data management through John Deere Operations Centre

Cargill and John Deere are announcing a collaborative effort to streamline the digital and in-field experience for farmers using John Deere technology and electing to participate in the Cargill RegenConnect program.

Cargill RegenConnect provides farmers with a financial incentive for positive environmental outcomes through the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices while helping to improve soil health and decarbonise the agriculture supply chain. John Deere’s precision ag technology and digital platform, Operations Centre, helps farmers to implement and document the practices they choose to adopt as part of Cargill RegenConnect.

John Deere and Cargill will work together to help farmers adopt and use precision technology and synchronise the flow of information when they opt-in to share data between systems. Farmers will be able to use existing planting, harvest and tillage documentation data stored in the Operations Centre, easily fill in missing information, and enrol in the 2023 Cargill RegenConnect program. This will help farmers save time, assure greater accuracy of data and offer the most up-to-date, consistent, and comprehensive view of their operation.

“John Deere and Cargill have a shared vision for advancing sustainability through digital capabilities that support farmers.  Farmers will have another tool in their toolbox to make the best decisions about sustainability and profitability for their farm,” said Alexey Rostapshov, Head of Sustainability Solutions for John Deere. “The connection to Operations Centre provides Cargill RegenConnect participants with the opportunity to learn about the program, manage and implement practice changes, and sync data across systems. This will save farmers time and empower them to make the best agronomic and economic decisions for their farm.”

The streamlined Operations Centre functionality will be rolled out and enhanced over several program years. The Cargill RegenConnect program is available to all Operations Centre users in 24 US States. Farmers will be able to work directly with their John Deere dealer to learn about equipment and technology available to implement practices eligible under the Cargill RegenConnect program and to ensure the as-applied documentation data is complete.

“Organising and providing data to seamlessly participate in environmental markets through programs like Cargill RegenConnect not only helps farmers get organized on the front end to better manage their on-farm data but also prepares them to participate in future market opportunities,” said Chantelle Donahue, North American Agriculture Supply Chain Vice President, from Cargill.

Cargill RegenConnect is in its third year. This program pays farmers for improving soil health based on the regenerative agriculture practices they have adopted including cover crops, no-till or reduced till. Eligible acres must have a primary crop of corn, soy, wheat, or cotton.

The collaboration will streamline program enrollment and

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Sustainability

Rajnath Singh Raksha Mantri & Dr Mansukh Mandaviya Health Minister unveil a book ‘Healthy Recipes for Defence’

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the use of millet and healthy eating practices among the Armed Forces and ensure the availability of safe & nutritious food was signed in the presence of Rajnath Singh Raksha Mantri and Dr Mansukh Mandaviya Minister of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) in New Delhi. Both Ministers also unveiled a book titled ‘Healthy Recipes for Defence’ to promote the consumption of Shree Anna (millets) and its health benefits.

The MoU was signed by Director General (Supplies and Transport) Lieutenant General Preet Mohinder Singh on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and CEO, of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) G Kamala Vardhana Rao. It aims to create awareness about the nutritional benefits of diet diversity and millet-based food products among the personnel. The MoU will also pave the way for the introduction of millet-based menus in messes, canteens and other food outlets under the MoD.

This collaboration will also ensure the training of food handlers & chefs of mess, canteens of the Armed Forces and other food outlets on food safety and hygiene as per the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. It signifies a shared commitment to the health and well-being of the Armed Forces to enable them to remain solid & resilient in their service to the nation. The MoU will also encourage the families of the Armed Forces and the community to adopt nutritious diets, make healthy food choices and maintain food safety.

 The book ‘Healthy Recipes for Defence’, developed by FSSAI, includes a range of millet-based dishes. It will be a valuable resource for different canteens and food outlets under the MoD. Given the challenging terrains and varied climatic conditions faced by the defence personnel, the significance of variety in diet assumes great importance. Millets are known for their nutritional value and can contribute to a well-balanced and diverse diet.

Rajnath Singh Raksha Mantri & Dr Mansukh

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, R&D

This MoU is aimed at strengthening Public-private partnerships towards academic, research, and technical collaboration between the two institutions in the field of open water fisheries research, academic and capacity building

ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore signs a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Himalayan University, Jollong, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

Dr Kuldeep K Sharma, Vice Chancellor, Himalayan University, Itanagar (State Private University of Arunachal Pradesh) and Dr B. K. Das, Director, ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.

This MoU is aimed at strengthening Public-private partnerships towards academic, research, and technical collaboration between the two institutions in the field of open water fisheries research, academic and capacity building.

Dr Sharma appreciated ICAR-CIFRI’s role in enhancing inland fish production in India over the last several decades through epoch-making technologies. He exhorted that this MoU will enable the university and ICAR-CIFRI to collaborate in research, technical, and academic collaboration which will ultimately help the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Dr. Das emphasised on long-term collaborations between the two institutions will help in the promotion of faculty and student in both the aspects of the quality post-graduate research front and the academy front.

This MoU is aimed at strengthening Public-private

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Start ups

The initiative targets to support sectors like seeds, fertilisers, warehousing, soil nutrients, harvest/post-harvest crop management, and food processing units

The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a plan to enhance the state’s agricultural value by investing approximately Rs 3,800 crore in agricultural start-ups.

The initiative targets to support sectors like seeds, fertilisers, warehousing, soil nutrients, harvest/post-harvest crop management, and food processing units. The scheme covers agricultural and horticultural crops along with allied farm activities such as pisciculture, sericulture, and food processing.

The state intends to approve a minimum of five agricultural ventures and start-ups each month in all 75 districts. By streamlining the loan process, the government hopes to extend the benefits of the scheme to over 3,000 agricultural entrepreneurs and young farmers.

The funding for this endeavour will be sourced from the Centre’s Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme, which focuses on investing in medium- and long-term community agricultural assets at the local level. To be eligible for a credit line from designated commercial banks, the project must have a value exceeding Rs 1 crore.

The initiative targets to support sectors like

AgroPolicy, Finance, Schemes - Banks

This Scheme has resulted in the creation of more than 31, 850 agri infra projects in the country with ₹24750 crores as loan amount under AIF with an outlay of ₹ 42,000 crores

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched a new campaign for banks under Agri Infra Fund titled BHARAT (Banks Heralding Accelerated Rural & Agriculture Transformation). This one month-long Campaign (from 15th July 2023 to 15th August 2023) with a target of Rs 7200 crore was launched through a Video Conference attended by more than 100 Banking Executives that included MDs/Chairman, EDs of Commercial Banks in the public and private sector, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, NBFCs and select cooperative Banks. While addressing the gathering of Bank Executives and Ministry Officials Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary (AIF) highlighted the progress made since the inception of this ambitious flagship Scheme. In his welcome address, he complimented the Banks for their active involvement and support to promote this Scheme which has resulted in the creation of more than 31, 850 agri infra projects in the country with ₹24750 crores as loan amount under AIF with an outlay of ₹ 42,000 crores.

Expressing satisfaction at the support from the MoA&FW and Project Monitoring Unit of AIF, participating executives from Banks came up with many suggestions to take the AIF scheme to newer heights. Secretary, MoA&FW congratulated the top performing Banks in different categories, namely State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, HDFC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank, Madhyanchal Gramin Bank and Punjab Gramin Bank, for their laudable effort in contributing to taking this scheme forward and appealed to all the Banks to achieve targets considering the vast potential for agri infra projects in our country. The Banks were also advised to carry out an assessment of the impact of the projects created under the scheme at ground level.

This Scheme has resulted in the creation

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, R&D, Start ups

AGRI UDAAN is a wonderful illustration of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework

The launch of AGRI UDAAN 6.0, the Food & Agribusiness Accelerator Program of a-IDEA, TBI of ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad was held. AGRI UDAAN 6.0 is the 6th edition/ version of the Food & Agribusiness Accelerator Program of a-IDEA which focuses on catalysing scale-up stage Food and Agribusiness startups through rigorous mentoring, industry networking, and pitching before investors.

Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-NAARM during his presidential address, discussed the need for a startup ecosystem and the agriculture startup ecosystem gaining momentum. He stated that innovation and new ideas in startups were the only means to address the challenges faced by the farmers. He presented the overall success journey of earlier versions of Agri Udan.

K. S Mahesh, General Manager, NABARD, Bangalore appreciated the efforts of a-IDEA in hand-holding startups to linking them with mentors, investors, and agri-industries and assisting them with technical, business, and market support wherever needed.

Shantaram Pai, General Manager, Agri Business Unit, SBI stressed that there were numerous problem statements like productivity, efficiency etc. which are lying untouched and unaddressed and startups need to work together.

Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Director, ICAR-NIANP applauded AGRI UDAAN, which was being carried out on a prestigious scale year after year benefitting numerous stakeholders in the startup ecosystem by building a holistic framework.

Dr G. Venkateshwarlu, Joint Director, ICAR-NAARM in his welcome address, highlighted the need for organising the launch of the Program in Bengaluru which is the hub of several startups. Besides, among the 247 startups that are incubated at a-IDEA, a maximum number of startups are in Telangana followed by Karnataka.

Dr Ravi Shankar, Angel Investor highlighted AGRI UDAAN which is a wonderful illustration of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework. He indicated the positive reflections of AGRI UDAAN from the startups, mentors and investors belonging to the previous cohorts.   

AGRI UDAAN is a wonderful illustration of

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Company News, E-commerce, India

 The online-exclusive products will be available in 14 states with a 72-hour delivery promise.

Bengaluru based nurture.retail, India’s largest B2B Ag-input e-commerce platform, has launched a comprehensive range of crop protection products which will be made available only online via its mobile app. These online-exclusive products comprise herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and bio-stimulants; these products are Uniquat, Turf, Lancer, Yieldwin, Manzate, Amerex, Ricebac, Imidastar and Lambda Star.

The launched product portfolio consists of crop protection, bio-stimulants & crop nutrition products that help in weed control, seed treatment, profuse tillering, branching and ensuring nutrition to the soil for growth solving problems the farmers face, from seeding to the growth & maturity stages.

This launch marks an important step for nurture.retail division of nurture.farm as it expands its online-exclusive product offerings. It also represents a progressive shift in the mindset of agri-input companies towards digital commerce. These products were launched via its flagship Shubh Aarambh event by nurture.retail amidst its retailer network in the presence of the chief guest Ashish Dobhal, CEO of UPL SAS.

Ashish Dobhal, Chief Executive Officer at UPL SAS, said, “In India, about 350,000 registered & licensed agri-input retailers cater to 150 million farmers. Most of these agri-input products are distributed through the traditional network (offline). By collaborating with nurture.retail to launch an online-exclusive product line, we can serve untapped markets and leverage digital channels as growth levers. This step also safeguards the interest of leading agri-input companies by ensuring that the traditional distribution channels remain unaffected.”

 Vishal Dubey, Business Head – nurture.retail said, “We are excited to launch online-exclusive products on our platform to celebrate the Kharif Season. The online-exclusive products will be available in 14 states with a 72-hour delivery promise. Agri-retailers can purchase the best agri-inputs through the crop life cycle at affordable rates. We will rapidly add more online exclusive products, unlocking new avenues for growth for agri-retailers.”

 The online-exclusive products will be available in

Acquaculture, Climate, Live Stock, Sustainability

This collaboration, supported by the World Bank, aims to empower smallholder fish producers, introduce innovative technologies and improve the livelihoods of farmers in 15 districts of the state

WorldFish, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fisheries have joined forces to boost climate-resilient aquaculture in Odisha. In a momentous event, a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed with a focus on climate resilience for smallholder aquatic food producers. The signing ceremony, attended by esteemed government officials, World Bank representatives and WorldFish staff, marked a significant step towards advancing the state’s aquaculture sector. 

Smruti Ranjan Pradhan, the director of fisheries for Odisha, Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, the project director of OIIPCRA and an additional secretary to the Government of Odisha and Arun Padiyar, WorldFish lead in India signed the MoA in the presence of Anu Garg, the development commissioner-cum-additional chief secretary of the Department of Water Resources in Odisha, Suresh Kumar Vashisth, the principal secretary of the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development in Odisha and Arabinda Kumar Padhee, the principal secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment in Odisha. 

The agreement, facilitated by the Odisha Community Tank Development and Management Society (OCTDMS), aims to intensify and diversify agricultural production while enhancing climate resilience. Under the agreement, WorldFish will provide technical assistance and knowledge support for the Odisha Integrated Irrigation and Climate Resilience Agriculture (OIIPCRA) initiative. 

“Our previous collaboration with WorldFish had a significant impact whereby the seed production in Odisha doubled thus ensuring the state’s self-sufficiency through the adoption of WorldFish’s early breeding technology and facilitation in adopting reservoir cage culture,” said, Suresh Kumar Vashisth Principal Secretary Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Odisha

“In Odisha, the government is particularly focused on promoting climate-resilient aquatic food production systems in these public water bodies. This project serves as an economically beneficial activity and provides incentives to the local community,” said, Arun Pandiyar India Lead WorldFish.

The OIIPCRA project will benefit smallholder farmers across 15 districts, including Balangir, Balasore, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Boudh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nawarangpur, Nuapada and Subarnapur. By focusing on adaptation and mitigation strategies, species diversification and the adoption of new technologies, the project aims to enhance production, increase income and reduce the vulnerability of resource-poor farmers to climate shocks. 

This collaboration, supported by the World Bank,

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Company News, India, Sustainable Energy

With this implementation, Best Agrolife anticipates annual savings of 33 per cent per unit on electricity costs while achieving a reduction of over 4 thousand tonnes in carbon emissions.

Best Agrolife Ltd (BAL), India’s leading agrochemical pesticide manufacturer, has entered into a PPA and SHA for supply of 3 MW solar energy from a plant in Uttar Pradesh. The electricity generated from this plant will be used to power its manufacturing unit in Gajraula. The company has collaborated with Fourth Partner Energy, a renowned renewable energy solutions provider, to procure this solar energy from its 15 MW solar park in Shahjahanpur.

“We at ‘BEST’ are focused on sustainability as it presents opportunities to innovate & develop new products and processes that are both sustainable and profitable. A company with a strong, sustainable ethos has been committed to develop cleaner, greener and more efficient production processes. We have implemented strict safety protocols to ensure safety of workers and local communities besides establishing a rainwater harvesting system in all our units.

This agreement with Clean Energy for the usage of green solar power brings us closer to achieving our energy transition goals. We are actively considering implementing solar energy solutions in other manufacturing facilities across India. We are delighted to partner with Fourth Partner Energy to expedite our sustainability objectives, given their expertise in renewable energy solutions and commendable track record in project execution and asset management,” said Pramod Narayan Karlekar, MD, Best Crop Science Pvt Ltd.

Commending Best Agrolife for its focus on clean energy transition, Kushal Mamgain, Lead for Open Access Projects – Uttar Pradesh at Fourth Partner Energy, remarked, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Best Agrolife in Uttar Pradesh. Companies like Best Agrolife are setting a remarkable example for other businesses in India by leading the country’s decarbonization efforts. We look forward to solarising their manufacturing units throughout the country.”

Best Agrolife’s Gajraula pesticide manufacturing plant spans 14 acres and features a 25,000 sq ft warehouse. Currently operating at a capacity of 7,000 MT annually, the facility has additional land measuring up to 100,000 sq ft for future expansion. With the implementation of the 3 MW solar plant, Best Agrolife anticipates annual savings of 33 per cent per unit on electricity costs while achieving a reduction of over 4 thousand tonnes in carbon emissions.

By integrating renewable energy into its portfolio, Best Agrolife Ltd sets a remarkable example for other organizations, demonstrating economic growth and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. This strategic move highlights their proactive stance in embracing clean energy solutions. It reinforces its position as an industry leader in sustainable practices helping the nation reduce its carbon footprints while helping it to achieve its Net Zero goals.

As a state, Uttar Pradesh boasts a well-developed renewables market driven by progressive Open Access regulations and a substantial demand from commercial and industrial enterprises seeking to minimize their carbon footprint.

With this implementation, Best Agrolife anticipates annual

AgroPolicy, Supply Chain, Vegetables

Tomato to be distributed at discounted prices to consumers in places of concern including the Delhi-NCR region

The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) to immediately procure Tomatoes from Mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra for simultaneous distribution in major consumption centres where retail prices have recorded maximum increase in the last one month. The stocks of Tomatoes will be distributed through retail outlets at discounted prices to the consumers in Delhi-NCR region by Friday, this week.

The targeted centres for release have been identified on the basis of the absolute increase in retail prices over the past month in centres where prevailing prices are above the All-India average. Key consumption centres in states having a higher concentration of the identified centres are further selected for the intervention.

Tomato is produced almost in all the states in India, though in varying quantities. Maximum production is in southern and western regions of India, contributing 56 per cent-58 per cent of all India production. Southern and Western regions being surplus states feed to other markets depending on production seasons. The production seasons are also different across regions. The peak harvesting season occurs from December to February. The periods during July-August and October-November are generally the lean production months for tomatoes. July coinciding with the monsoon season adds to further challenges related to distribution and increased transit losses adding to price rise. The cycle of planting and harvesting seasons and variation across regions are primarily responsible for price seasonality in Tomato. Apart from the normal price seasonality, temporary supply chain disruptions and crop damage due to adverse weather conditions often lead to sudden price spikes.

Currently, the supplies coming to markets in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and some other states are mostly from Maharashtra especially Satara, Narayangaon, and Nashik which is expected to last till this month end. Madanapalle (Chittoor) in Andhra Pradesh also has continued arrivals in reasonable quantities. Delhi-NCR arrivals are mainly from Himachal Pradesh, and some quantity comes from Kolar in Karnataka.

New crop arrivals are expected soon from the Nashik district. Furthermore, in August, additional supply is expected to come from Narayangaon and Aurangabad belt. Madhya Pradesh arrivals are also expected to start. Prices are anticipated to cool down in the near future, accordingly.

Tomato to be distributed at discounted prices

Animal Health, Company News, Live Stock, World

The combination of Olmix and Yes Sinergy marks a new milestone in the development of Olmix’s Animal Care Business Unit

Olmix Group, a global specialist in natural solutions for agriculture, acquired Yes Sinergy, a Brazilian biotech company specialising in natural additives for animal nutrition and welfare.

With the acquisition of Yes Sinergy, Olmix Group is pursuing its international development, positioning itself as a major supplier of bio-sourced solutions for agriculture. The Group now generates revenues of more than €200 million, including nearly €150 million in animal nutrition, health and welfare.

The consolidation of the two companies is based on their complementary strengths, both geographical and technological, as well as their shared ambition of combining economic performance with the transition to more sustainable farming models. The operation builds on the companies’ shared values focused on a scientific approach to knowledge and the essential role of innovation based on bio-sourced materials: seaweed for Olmix and sugar-cane yeast for Yes Sinergy.

The combination of Olmix and Yes Sinergy marks a new milestone in the development of Olmix’s Animal Care Business Unit. Through this acquisition, Olmix Group reaffirms its international ambitions and positions itself as a leader in bio-sourced solutions for animal nutrition, health and welfare.

The acquisition will boost Yes Sinergy’s sales, technical and R&D resources while enabling the company to pursue its growth in the European and Asian markets. At the same time, Olmix’s integration of Yes Sinergy will accelerate its development in Latin America, one of the world’s most dynamic agricultural markets, penetrate the pet care market and complement its range of natural solutions for livestock.

Robert Clapham, Olmix Group CEO, commented, “The acquisition of biotech company Yes Sinergy is fully in line with the Animal Care Business Unit’s growth plans. I’m convinced that under the leadership of Mickael Rouault, who recently arrived as the head of this business, the two teams’ combined expertise and skills will stimulate innovation and the growth of our bio-sourced solutions. The Group now has a global presence spanning Europe, Asia and Latin America, and the Animal Care Business Unit’s revenues are spread evenly across these three areas.” 

The combination of Olmix and Yes Sinergy

Agrotech, Company News, Foodgrains, World

Through its Market+ Source sustainable crop program, Indigo Ag will use its proprietary measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities to help CGB quantify the emissions factor

Indigo Ag, announced a program with Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., a subsidiary of CGB Enterprises, Inc. and a leader in the grain and transportation industries, designed to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainably grown crops sourced by CGB.

Through its Market+ Source sustainable crop program, Indigo Ag will use its proprietary measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities to help CGB quantify the emissions factor for the grain they purchase from farmers using more sustainable farming practices. These grains would be purchased at a premium and ultimately sold to CGB customers looking to decarbonise value chains, including food and beverage companies, ingredient companies and regenerative and sustainable fuel producers.

Indigo’s proprietary MRV capabilities use the highest scientific standards to quantify environmental benefits for companies participating in the Market+ Source program.

“As corporations look to achieve their Scope 3 emissions targets, the ability to quantify the environmental impact of sustainable practices with a high degree of certainty is critically important,” said Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Indigo Ag. “We are excited to work with companies like CGB who are demonstrating leadership in the industry by committing to help farmers make more money through the adoption of sustainable practices while reducing emissions in the ag value chain.”

“At CGB we are driven to connect value-added solutions to our upstream farmer producers, while simultaneously meeting the evolving needs and quality characteristics of our downstream consumer,” said Eric Slater, President and CEO of CGB Enterprises, Inc. “Through our work with Indigo, we are excited to expand upon and connect value-added production practices at the farm level that would promote sustainability within the grain, feed, and food supply chains.”

Through its Market+ Source sustainable crop program, Indigo

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, India

The insecticide falls in the Green category and is being produced by IIL under the Make in India initiative that would benefit marginal and small farmers in India

Insecticides (India) Limited (IIL), an agrochemical company has announced the insecticide ‘Mission’ which would attack different types of lepidopteran pests affecting sugarcane crops and other crops like paddy, soybean and vegetables.

According to the company statement, the insecticide Mission will be available in granules as well as liquid form. The insecticide falls in the Green category and is being produced by IIL under the Make in India initiative that would benefit marginal and small farmers in India. It was imported earlier. The mission is well designed to control the spread of stem borer and leaf folders in paddy and other crops.

Rajesh Aggarwal, Managing Director, Insecticides (India), said, “We are pleased to launch Mission today under our Make in India Initiative after Torry, Green Label, Dominant and Stunner. The mission is the latest technology insecticide which can be used on a variety of crops and provide good control to farmers against lepidopteran pests, ensuring good crop health and high yield. We are confident that Mission will help our Indian farmers to improve their income through effective protection for a superior harvest.”

The insecticide falls in the Green category

Company News, Dairy, Packaging & Labelling, Supply Chain, World

This could be a first in the dairy industry and would reduce Arla’s plastic consumption by more than 500 tonnes annually if implemented

The dairy cooperative is teaming up with Blue Ocean Closures in a formal partnership to create a fibre-based cap for its milk cartons. This could be a first in the dairy industry and would reduce Arla’s plastic consumption by more than 500 tonnes annually if implemented.

The cardboard milk carton is a well-known classic in several countries and while the packaging has undergone several transformations over the years and is now a near-optimal choice in terms of food safety and sustainability, the time has come to completely rethink a small yet significant part; the cap.

Making up for around 23 per cent of the plastic used in Arla’s cartons, the farmer-owned dairy cooperative has now set its sights on the caps as part of its sustainable packaging strategy to eliminate the use of fossil-based virgin plastic in its packaging by 2030. Arla Foods is partnering with Swedish start-up Blue Ocean Closures in an effort to create a solution that could see the dairy cooperative introduce the first fibre-based cap on milk cartons in the industry.

“Improving our packaging, including reducing our use of plastic, is imperative to us and we know that consumers are also very invested in this area. This project to explore what could very well be the first fibre-based cap on milk cartons is very exciting and shows that we at Arla are constantly looking to improve and lead the transformation of sustainable packaging”, says Peter Giørtz-Carlsen, Chief Commercial Officer at Arla Foods.

This could be a first in the