The importance of sustainable nutrition

How Arla is addressing sustainability within food.

When it comes to sustainable diets, the environment and nutrition cannot be separated. We have more people on our planet to feed than ever before and that number is estimated to grow to almost 10bn by 2050. To feed everyone in the most sustainable way we are all going to have to eat less food overall. This means the food we do eat is going to have to be as nutritionally good for us as possible.

Nutrition is a very personal topic. Our bodies all respond differently to different foods and so there will never be one answer that is right for everyone. That’s why so many Arla products are designed to give a bit of extra goodness to fit a specific lifestyle.

And it’s a bit like farming. Every farmer has to farm a little differently depending on the world around them. Soil type, the weather, the number of cows and calves they have, the size of their farm will all play a part in the decisions our farmers make. That’s true of the milk and dairy we buy too. The cost, the packaging, the size of our families, the needs of our lifestyles and our taste buds all impact what type of dairy we buy, or whether we buy it at all.

But for the sake of the planet, the thinking that should guide us all is; how do we get all the nutrients our bodies need, by eating the smallest amount of food necessary, balanced in the right way for our bodies and designed to make us feel full. Health experts around the world agree that the most nutrient dense foods in the world include products such as milk, steak, eggs, liver and salmon. Our diets must also include a varied intake of fruit and vegetables rich in different vitamins and minerals, all supporting the body in different ways.

To play our part in producing the healthiest and most natural products, we have spent over 15 years working to ensure significant sugar reduction across our portfolio and we now have stretching targets as part of our nutrition criteria. When you buy an Arla product that carries health messages, you can be sure it contains a balanced mix of nutrients and fulfils all of the below criteria requirements: