Our Farmer Sustainability Initiative
Milk Matters to us. We hope it does to you too.
At Dairy Farmers we are passionate about:
- Milk Quality
- Animal Welfare
- The environment
- Business management
- People and Community
Where we have partnerships with our farmers we work with them through our Farmer Sustainability Initiative to support their sustainability in these areas. It is designed to assist our farmers to be more sustainable now and in the future.
The program includes an on-line self-assessment tool designed to assess a farmer’s dairy business across the five key areas.
MILK QUALITY
Our premium dairy products are made from high quality milk sourced from Australian dairy farms. Our Farmer Sustainability Initiative provides farmers with access to some of the best practice procedures and advice. Milk quality encompasses a range of important farm management areas that ensures that our milk is not only of high quality nutritionally, but is produced from healthy cows. The key areas include a food safety program, quality tools and herd management. Our food safety program (Simply Perfect) ensures that dairy milk supplied to us is produced from farms with approved and documented procedures.
ANIMAL WELFARE
Our dairy farmers are committed to the health and wellbeing of their animals. Cows are a farmer’s livelihood and caring for them is a farmer’s first responsibility. As an industry, the vision for animal welfare is that every dairy animal is well cared for and valued. Sound animal welfare practices underpin the reputation and integrity of the Australian dairy industry.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Management encompasses a range of important farm management areas that ensures that our milk is not only of high quality nutritionally, but is produced from healthy cows. We provide tools to our farmers to assist them in managing their water and energy usage and identifying where savings can be made. We provide Landcare grants which are designed to help our dairy farmers to develop more sustainable practices on their farms, increase business efficiencies, lower their operating costs and secure the long term sustainability for their business.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Fully understanding the financial position of the business is one of the keys to business success. We provide key performance indicator measurements and financial tools to assist our farmers to identify management strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the business.
PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY
There is a strong link between a sustainable business and the sheer fact of being happy and healthy, not only for the farmers and their families, but also their teams. We encourage our farmers to have a work life balance by being involved in the local community (including local schools, local government and sporting clubs) as it can give a sense of connectedness and belonging, which is recognised as a protective factor in resilience and wellbeing. Farmer Sustainability Initiative is Lion Dairy & Drinks’ farmer sustainability program – it is designed to assist our farmers in being more sustainable now and in the future in all aspects of their farming business from business management, animal welfare and environment practices, to farm safety, wellbeing and employment.
We offer a comprehensive and confidential Personal Support Program designed to assist our dairy farmers, their families and staff in meeting the challenges and demands of work and personal life.
