No use of non-selective herbicides or plastic on grassland
Agreement is part of the long term quality program “Milk for Hochland” – Unanimous consent of milk suppliers’ committees – Valid with effect from January 2019
Cheese manufacturer Hochland and the committees of their milk suppliers agree that in future no non-selective herbicides such as Glyphosate will be used on their fields or grassland, which the farms mainly utilize to plant feed for their own requirements.
An agreement was signed beginning of July between Hochland and the committees of “Erstes Bayerisches Butterwerk” and the milk producer association “MEG Pfaffenwinkel”, approved by the “Bayern milk producer association”. It will come into effect from January 1st, 2019. It was an unanimous decision taken by the milk producer committees.
Allgäuland eG representatives as future milk suppliers of Hochland also approved the agreement: The contract between milk producers of this association and Hochland will come into effect in January 2019.
Hochland and their milk suppliers are thereby responding to the wishes of consumers, who are more and more critical with regard to non-selective herbicides.
No plastic on fields or grassland
Hochland and the milk producer groups also agree that plastic and food waste should not find their way onto the fields but into the waste disposal. The parties are unanimously against the recovery of fermentation substrate from biogas plants which process food leftovers, as that leads to plastic particles being spread on the fields and thus reaching the feeding stuff.
This regulation also comes into effect by January 1st, 2019.
This decision goes along with Hochland’s general and long term attitude, as the company has been committed to sustainable business principles for many years and takes responsibility for the consequences of their actions: More than 20 years ago Hochland was the first dairy company in Germany to receive the EMAS II certificate.
Both parties regard this agreement as an important milestone in order to respond to consumer expectations.
Quality program “Milk for Hochland” confirms the company’s pioneer role
The switch to a non-GMO cheese production gave a pioneer role to Hochland Deutschland GmbH and to the farmers. Hochland is now also the first large, privately owned dairy company to regulate both issues of non-selective herbicides and fermentation substrate in their milk supply.
Both agreements are part of the quality program “Milk for Hochland”, established several years ago together with the farmers. All ‒ current and future ‒ milk suppliers of the Hochland plant in Schongau contractually agree to participate in this program. This means, for example, that they participate in the national program “Quality Management of Milk” (QM Milch), produce non-GMO milk and are committed to sustainability.
Hochland pays the farmers an extra 1.0 Eurocent per kilogram on the milk price to compensate the additional outlay due to this program.
Here you will find the press release for download.
