A testament to the cooperative’s dedication to sustainable agriculture and organic farming
Fast Company announced its 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards. The 2023 Impact Report reveals efforts to reduce carbon & uplift small organic family farms for a fairer food system. The 2023 Impact Report of Organic Valley serves as a testament to the cooperative’s dedication to sustainable agriculture and organic farming.
Organic Valley is the leading organic farmer-owned cooperative on a mission to save, serve, and safeguard small organic family farms. Organic Valley ambitiously aims to collaborate with roughly 500 farmer-members over the next five years, implementing more than 1,200 climate-smart farming practices.
The brand’s products are ethically sourced, which we define as food raised on organic farms where families manage the daily care for the animals and the earth while living up to the requirements of the USDA National Organic Program as well as our cooperative’s own high standards and practices designed to promote the principles of organic agriculture, including respect for the dignity and interdependence of human, animal, plant, soil and global life.
The 2023 Impact Report unveils Organic Valley’s trailblazing initiatives to minimize its carbon footprint and champion small organic family farms to help support a better, more equitable food system. The pioneering CROPP Carbon Insetting Program (CCIP) takes center stage, offering a groundbreaking approach to carbon insetting by rewarding Organic Valley farmers for implementing regenerative, climate-smart farming practices, such as tree planting and composting strategies. This revolutionary program empowers Organic Valley to work toward carbon neutrality without relying on carbon offsetting while financially supporting family farms’ environmental stewardship.
Organic Valley also features animal care practices in the report including implementing pasture and outdoor access standards, preventative care, and treatment. By focusing on measurable animal welfare outcomes, Organic Valley transcends traditional methods, employing cutting-edge trigger measures to reward farmers excelling in animal care and addressing issues proactively. In 2022 alone, the cooperative engaged with over 4,000 farms and conducted more than 2,500 farm visits. Organic Valley’s family farms boast an average of 80 dairy cows, a staggering 3.5 times smaller than the industry average, prioritizing Annual Animal Care Check-ins and comprehensive audits every three years.
The report unveils statistics indicating that since 1988, Organic Valley farmers have prevented over 540 million pounds of chemicals, the equivalent weight of 360,000 adult blue whales — from polluting land, waterways, and food. Moreover, the cooperative has generously donated more than 19 million pounds of food in the past seven years and partnered with numerous organizations and nonprofits to bolster local communities across the nation.
