The Nestlé Milk Plan
Did you know that the milk used for many of your favourite Nestlé milk chocolate products comes directly to us from a group of farmers in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland?
We're proud to have worked with First Milk, a British farmer-owned co-operative, for over two decades. The positive impact of this long-standing partnership is clear to see for local farmers, their communities, and the landscape.
We Have a Plan
Did You Know..?
7% of all the milk produced in Scotland is used to make Nestlé's chocolate bars in the UK. That's enough to fill 28 Olympic-sized swimming pools each year!
In Partnership with First Milk
In 2003, we established our relationship with First Milk, the farmer-owned dairy co-operative who work directly with dairy farmers and are the proud recipient of the Kings award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development. From the beginning, we have focused on the quality and provenance of the milk, along with, of course, animal welfare.
Since 2015, farmers supplying us through the Nestlé Milk Plan have received a sustainability bonus payment for implementing a range of activities on their farms that aim to make a positive impact on their environment and the community.
In 2021, we took the programme to the next level and developed a plan to help farmers take steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their farms by 50% by 2026. Our key impact areas are environment, community and carbon reduction.
ENVIRONMENT
What We’ve Achieved
Since 2015, Nestlé Milk Plan farmers have taken various actions to help protect the environment and encourage biodiversity.
- They’ve planted 11 miles of hedgerows and 5 hectares of woodland (that’s the size of 8 football pitches!) to provide habitat for many species of mammals, insects and birds.
- They’ve fenced off 18 miles of streams and rivers to stop livestock access and prevent bank erosion.
- They’re doing yearly bird counts to track species changes and worm counts to check soil health on farms.
- They’ve evaluated the amount of plastic used on farms and built plans to remove, reduce, reuse and recycle.
CARBON REDUCTION
What We’ve Achieved
In 2021, we kicked off an ambitious plan with the First Milk farmers – to halve their carbon emissions by 2026. Did you know soil holds twice as much carbon as the atmosphere? Healthy soil stores carbon and so caring for our soil keeps that carbon in the ground, helping to combat climate change. Here’s an overview of steps we’re taking:
- First, soil was extracted from every field by our partner Agricarbon and its carbon level was evaluated to establish a baseline and understand what we were working with.
- Next, farmers chose actions to reduce carbon emissions and capture more carbon in their soil. This includes planting more trees and hedgerows and minimising ploughing as churning the soil releases carbon that is captured in the earth back into the atmosphere.
COMMUNITY
What We’ve Achieved
The Nestlé Milk Plan farmers are proud members of their local communities.
- In partnership with the Royal Highland Educational Trust, many of the farmers host school visits to help children learn about agriculture, farming and the environment.
- We are proud to support Women in Agriculture and Next Generation Farmer groups within the co-operative, where participants share best practices, learn from each other, and get training to strengthen their business skills.
We’re charting progress annually, which will be validated by independent experts including audits by EY, KoltiTrace Farm assessments and Farm Animal Welfare Consulting. Moreover, each Milk Plan farmer is certified through the Red Tractor scheme.
Explore the Brands Involved in the Milk Plan
