Mejeritekniskt Forum

A new study at SLU will investigate how the rules for animal welfare affects the agricultural economy in different EU countries.

An interdisciplinary project at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, investigates the connection between animal welfare legislation, the economy of animal production and the international competitiveness.

The rules for Animal protection in Sweden are stricter than in the average of EU countries. In Sweden, it is often argued that the stricter requirements lead to a deterioration in competitiveness, but there is no scientific basis for this. That is why, there is a need for scientifically based knowledge about the effects of legislation on competitiveness, imports and exports and consumer attitudes and demand.

The study will provide decision-makers with data and advice on how to improve animal welfare in a way, that is sustainable from an economic perspective. The project will focus on the production of pork, beef and milk in Sweden and other EU countries.

Read more HERE

The decision to remove the milk for high school students in Karlskrona has been withdrawn after massive criticism.

According to Swedish Radio the milk seems to remain as a drink with the meal at the high school in Karlskrona and Degerfors.

The Public Health Board in the municipal decided in 2020 to remove the milk, but after many reactions from municipal residents, the chairman of the municipal board, Tony Ring (M), opened up to push for extra money.

– If there is money for it, it is perfectly ok for me to serve milk, Martin Hårsmar, chairman of the Public Health Committee (M), says.

This newsletter had a review about the case on the 12th of January. At that time the argument to skip the milk was not about money, but due to the climate.

Read more HERE

Arla and Eskilstuna municipality has agreed on purchase of dairy products for SEK 40 million. Arla’s organic products and fossil-free transport was the reason for the agreement.

It is now settled that Arla will be Eskilstuna municipality’s dairy supplier. The agreement covers an annual volume of approximately 820 tonnes of fresh dairy products – the majority organic.

– These are volumes that we had not dared to count on. Therefore, we are both proud and happy to have won this deal. I also know that this particular agreement has been long awaited by many Arla farmers living in Eskilstuna, Anna Månsson, sales director for Arla Foodservice, says in a Press Release

The quality of the products and the wide organic range were partly the reason for the deal, as well as the price and the fossil-free transports that can deliver the dairy products in an environmental good way.

The purchase agreement runs up to four years, starting the 1st of April. In 2021 the revenues are expected to be of just over SEK 6 million growing to SEK 10 million a year.

Read more HERE

Skånemejerier, Arla and Danone are on the list of Sweden’s top 100 employers. The companies can brand them self with the title as one of ’Sverige’s Karriärföretag 2021’.

– We are so proud! This is a proof of our hard work to engage our staff, HR director Petra Hallin, Skånemejerier says on the occasion that the dairy company has been appointed one of the country’s best employers.

The justification highlights Skånemejerier’s message about sustainability, commitment to charities and the high quality of communication via social media.

The list of career companies 2021 includes others in the dairy Industry: Arla and Danone.

The Jurys motivation to add Arla to the chosen ones is: ‘Arla engages its customers and employees in a creative way. Their website and social media contain inspiring stories from all of Sweden’s farmers, which shows a fantastic corporate culture. As an employee, you should also feel proud to work for an employer who constantly works to create a better world’.

According to the Jury DANONE is chosen as ‘an exciting company that operates on a global level. With their strong corporate culture combined with good career opportunities, they achieve high attractiveness as employers. Danone performs a wide mix of activities to create a safe and exciting workplace for its employees’.

Career Companies are an award for employers who offer unique career and development opportunities for both new students and for those who have already worked for a few years.

See the recent list HERE

Read the Press release from Skånemejerier HERE

Social media and parents have the biggest impact on teens’ eating habits while experts and dietary recommendations have the least impact. This is especially true for the Swedish teens, shows a Nordic study conducted by Arla.

A survey among 1,500 teenagers in Sweden, Denmark and Finland shows that three out of four teenagers do not consider the recommendations from food authorities to be important or useful. The survey was conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Arla last summer.

When the teens were asked, who has the biggest influence on their eating habits and desire to change them, the social media and parents was their first answers, while doctors, official dietary advice and nutritionists end up at the bottom of the list.

– Although the experts seem to have a low impact, it may well be that they have an indirect influence via the parents. But the fact, that social media is on the top on the list is hardly surprising. Many of the biggest Swedish ’influencers’ talk about food and often cook on their channels, and this affects, what the teenagers eat. That is why the ’influencers’ have a great responsibility, Elin Boll, nutrition specialist at Arla Sweden, says.

The study also shows that Swedish teenagers’ knowledge of what their national dietary recommendation are significantly lower than among teens in the neighbouring countries. Only 45 percent of the Swedish teenagers have a clear picture of the advice from the food authorities. Neither are the Swedish teenagers as interested in information about healthy food compared to the Finns and Danes. Only 9 percent of the Swedes searched for information to eat healthy. In Denmark the corresponding figure is 25 percent and in Finland 38 percent. When teens seek guidance on eating healthier, the most used channels are online recipes and social media.

– All of us who work in the food industry have a responsibility to inspire a healthy and sustainable diet based on scientific facts. But we also need to meet the target audience where they are and on their terms. There is a lot of knowledge, but it must be conveyed correctly, Elin Boll, says.

Read more HERE

A large majority of Arla’s elected representatives have decided that all elections in Arla’s democratic systems will not be held for another year.

A Swedish proposal to postpone all election actions by one year due to the corona situation, was adopted by 162 of 187 Arla-Representatives. The vote took place at an extraordinary, online meeting of the Board of Representatives.

The argument in the proposal – which was drafted by 38 Swedish members of the Board of Representatives – was that it is crucial for the democracy to be able to meet ”properly” and not ”only online”, when elections are to be held for Arla’s district council, national councils, board and ultimately board.

– It will be difficult to conduct the elections when we cannot meet physically, said Mats Larsson, milk producer and chairman of the district council in Region Väst. He is one of the 38 Swedish representatives, that had requested the extraordinary meeting.

The proposal required an absolute majority, or 75 percent support, as this was a deviation from the articles of association. According to the rules there must be two years between the election documents.

Read more HERE

This week, changes in the management have been announced in both Norrmejerier and Arla.

After almost six years as CEO, Anders Fredriksson leaves Norrmejerier and becomes President and CEO at Löfbergs. The recruitment of a new CEO starts immediately, Norrmejerier informs in a press release.

Ulla Bergström, Norrmejerier’s chairman regrets his departure, but sums up the years, where Fredriksson has been in charge:

– During this period, we have set a new strategy to meet the consumers of the future, invested in both our fresh products and cheese production, developed our cheese business both in volume and value and right now we are starting up the production of grilled cheese. This creates conditions for increased efficiency and a good balance in the dairy, which is very important for the dairy farmers in Norrland, she says. Read more HERE

The top of Arla Sweden also sees changes, since Lisa Ehde will be the new head of Member & Agri Commercial (MAC). This means that she also takes a place in the Swedish management team.

At the same time, Peter Kofoed, Head of Member Relations, is leaving Arla to be Head of LRF Milk.

Lisa Ehde also has a past as a leading figure at the Swedish Farmers’ Association, LRF.

The municipalities, Karlskoga and Degerfors, have stopped serving milk in their high schools (gymnasieskolorna red.) as a part of their environmental efforts.

– We will try a concept for a sustainable meal, based on our environmental thinking. We do this e.g., by removing the milk as a drink for the meal in high school, Maria Sjödahl Nilsson, operations manager for diet in Karlskoga and Desgerfors, says P4 Örebro.

The municipalities choose to keep the milk in primary school.

– The milk fits quite well in primary school. It is in fact only the recommendation for small children to drink milk, she says.

While Maria Sjödahl Nilsson denies that the economy plays a role in relation to dropping the milk, Martin Hårsmar (M), who is chairman of the public health committee in Karlskoga, says to Jordbruksaktuelt.se that saving considerations lies behind the decision.

Jordbruksaktuelt has also talked to a local milk producer, Thomas Danielsson, who is LRF’s sustainability ambassador in Örebro County. He criticizes that the municipality uses climate arguments:

– It is sad that the municipality excludes a food that is produced within the municipality. From a climate point of view, there are other foods you could consider making the meal more sustainable – e.g., imported foods, he says.

Read more HERE

Mejeritekniskt Forum wishes our members and readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Our news service will be back in the new year with the first Notisnytt January 12.

Arla has been fined by the Swedish competition authorities for more than DKK 1 million SEK. Arla considers the fine to be unfair, as the company has notified the case on its own and thus used the rules of safe-conduct.

Arla has, according to the Swedish Competition Authority, exchanged prices with a competing company in connection with a municipal tender for the supply of dairy products. This happened four years ago and has now resulted in a fine.

From Arla’s point of view the story is not as simple. In a press release the company explains:

’When Arla 2018 discovered that an error had been committed by an individual employee in a price negotiation, Arla contacted the Swedish Competition Authority in accordance with the rules for the so-called remission-program. The error did not result in any financial gain for Arla and the intention of the remission program is that companies that discover and report these errors to the Swedish Competition Authority should not be fined.

Arla was transparent and submitted documents to the Swedish Competition Authority, which is now used against Arla. Arla opposes the Swedish Competition Authority and considers, that it is against the intention with the remission process. The Swedish Competition Authority’s actions may also abstain other companies from being as transparent as Arla’.

Read Arla’s argumentation HERE

Read the press release from the Swedish Competition Authority HERE