Hochland joins the "Food for Biodiversity" association

[November 2023, Heimenkirch in the Allgäu]

Hochland SE is the first dairy in Germany to join the "Food for Biodiversity" association. Membership was confirmed on 31.8.2023. For the internationally active Hochland Group, this is a further step in the implementation of the Hochland vision in the area of sustainability. The alliance of companies from the food industry, agriculture, NGOs, science, associations and authorities contributes to the sustainable transformation of food systems by promoting biodiversity.

Milk is the most important raw material for Hochland and is characterised by its natural components and nutrients. For the traditional Allgäu company, sustainable milk production means animal welfare, climate protection, closed cycles and biodiversity. The cheese producer is convinced that protecting the environment is also an essential prerequisite for producing high-quality food from milk. This is why at Hochland, promoting, restoring and preserving biodiversity is considered to play a central role.

The food system and thus the food industry are facing major challenges in the context of the climate crisis. "From our membership in the "Food for Biodiversity" association, we expect, on the one hand, a close exchange with other players in the industry such as our trading partners and, on the other hand, impulses for the implementation of our Hochland vision in the area of sustainability," says Josef Stitzl, COO of Hochland SE. "Food for Biodiversity" offers a promising network here. For years, Hochland's understanding has included actively working with partners to find solutions, for example to improve animal health. With selected contract farmers, Hochland now wants to promote the preservation and restoration of biodiversity on the land of its milk producers and expand its own expertise on the topic of biodiversity through selected pilot projects.

Already three years ago, Hochland Deutschland GmbH, as a subsidiary of the Hochland Group, joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) committing itself to reduce the CO2e footprint by 2030 to a level that can be proven to limit global warming to as close to 1.5 degrees Celsius as possible compared to pre-industrial levels. By joining the "Food for Biodiversity" association, Hochland is taking another consistent step in the context of responsible milk production.

Here you will find the press release for download.