Best Practices

Carbery was founded in 1965 as a joint venture between four creameries and Express Dairies, UK. Since then, we have continued to expand and grow, taking market leading positions in dairy, ingredients and flavours, and creating new markets for the milk of our farmer shareholders. Our co-operative heritage means we are clear on our purpose – to deliver value and ensure a stable and sustainable future for our shareholders. We’re passionate about supporting our local communities and being progressive, innovative and sustainable in everything we do.

Sustainability is about trying to create a better future and do the right thing for all of our stakeholders, all of the time. In line with our ethos and commitment to constantly improve the environmental footprint we create and the contribution we make to the world as a business, we focus our energies on five key Corporate Responsibility (CR) pillars:

OUR ENVIRONMENT we have a moral duty to conserve and enhance our local environment.

OUR COMMUNITY we play a proactive role in our local communities by creating jobs, buying local and supporting educational, community and charity groups.

OUR PEOPLE We are committed to being a best-in-class employer and ensuring our workplaces are safe and welcoming for all.

OUR SUPPLY CHAIN Food safety and security is at the core of everything we do and we work hard to ensure traceability and ethical sourcing across all our supply chains.

OUR MARKETPLACE We constantly innovate to produce healthier, more ethical and sustainable products to help consumers make better choices and lead better lives.

Supply chain is one of their sustainability pillars so it is relevant

Food Security & Safety When it comes to food, nothing is more important than trust. Safety is our number one concern and we are dedicated to ensuring the security, traceability and ethical sourcing of all raw materials. We are focused on building vibrant, diverse supply chains that increase the prosperity of the communities from which we buy. This means operating an integrated, mutually beneficial and sustainable supply chain from the farms of our supplier shareholders, all the way to our customers and consumers.

Responsible Sourcing, Our licence to operate depends on us conducting our business in an honest and ethical manner. In 2019, we developed an Ethical Procurement policy outlining our expectations on the environmental, social and human rights behaviours of our partners and suppliers and which inform our procurement choices.

Increased Transparency. We are a member of Sedex, an ethical data platform where buyers, suppliers and auditors store, share and report supply chain information, aiding transparency and improving working conditions in global supply chains.

SDG

Partnerships for Sustainable Development

We believe in the power of partnerships to accelerate change. Through pooling knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources with relevant partners, we can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and strengthen our long-term presence in our growth markets. We work with civil society organisations and NGOs to ensure our local engagement actively supports national plans to implement the UNSDGs

Greening our Workplaces Although the most significant carbon impacts are generated through our production plants, we also believe everyone can play their part in making our planet a better place. Though the gestures might feel small, we believe our sustainability strategy will be more successful if our people are passionate advocates for leading a greener life.

Grassroots Sustainability A dairy supply chain that is ethical, sustainable, traceable and of the highest quality is an essential cornerstone of our dairy and nutrition businesses. Ireland’s unique climate gives our dairy farmers a sustainable head start. Up to 80% of land is used to grow grass so that cows can graze naturally outdoors for up to 10 months of the year and, with the longest grass growing season in the world, Irish cows can enjoy a natural grass-fed diet (silage) even in the depths of winter.

Environmentally they are sourcing sustainable, Socially they are getting all of the grassroots people involved and they are governed and increasing transparency by using the Sedex platform.

They have great relationships with their suppliers and use their co operative roots to ensure these relationships remain. This impacts their supply chain and keeps their quality high. They have increased the transparency of this by using the Sedex platform. This use of technology helps keep standards high.

Accessed 30/6/23 https://www.carbery.com/sustainability/supply-chain/