Dairy Farmers of America

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
The company has a sustainability strategy around three pilars: planet, people and communities. However, it does not disclose time-bound targets for its most relevant sustainability topics, except for its planet dimension.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development strategy
The company does not disclose the governance structure for the implementation of its sustainable development strategy or targets, such as the person, team or committee that holds ultimate responsibility for its implementation.

Stakeholder engagement
The company does not disclose a list of its stakeholders nor a list of issues raised with its stakeholders.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
In 2020, Dairy Farmers of America set a target to reduce scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 against the baseline year 2018. The company has an opportunity to align its target to a 1.5 degrees warming trajectory.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
The company does not disclose activities aimed at achieving deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains for its relevant high-risk commodities. It has an opportunity to increase its disclosure on commitments to source its high-risk commodities through recognised certification programmes or by disclosing targets for achieving DCF supply chains.

Soil health and agrobiodiversity
Dairy Farmers of America discloses that 92% of member farms have a soil management plan to maintain or improve soil health and that 82% of farms practice crop rotation, with 63% using cover crops. However, the company does not have a target to increase the proportion of own operations or affiliated farms using practices that improve soil health.

Water use
The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across own operations nor quantitative reductions in water withdrawal across own operations.

Animal welfare
The company does not disclose that it is addressing key animal welfare issues for its relevant key species in its own operations and supply chain. It has an opportunity to disclose a commitment that addresses key issues for animal across its relevant species, geographies and products.

Antibiotic use and growth-promoting substances
The company does not disclose that it is reducing or prohibiting the prophylactic use of antibiotics and growth-promoting substances for farm animals relevant to the company. It has an opportunity to disclose a commitment on antibiotics which addresses the topic across its relevant species, geographies and products.

Availability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment or activities to increase the availability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Clear and transparent labelling
The company does not disclose that it provides nutritional information through clear, transparent and accurate labelling.

Responsible marketing
The company does not disclose a responsible marketing policy, nor guidelines specific to marketing to children.

Food safety
While Dairy Farmers of America discloses that all of its plants in the United States are certified by the Safe Quality Food Institute, it has an opportunity ti disclose whether these certifications cover 100% of its entire operations.

Farmer and fisherman resilience
Dairy Farmers of America is a cooperative and has a commitment to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for their affiliated farmers. The company provides examples of related activities, such as investing in manufacturing capabilities to add value to the farmers’ produce. However, Dairy Farmers of America has an opportunity to demonstrate it is measures the impact of its support activities and report these externally.

Forced labour
While the company commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Child labour
The company does not disclose a commitment to prohibit child labour in its operations and supply chain.

Living wage
The company does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
The company does not disclose that it specifically recognises the health and safety risks to vulnerable groups, such as migrant and temporary labourers, women and young farmers.

Land rights
The company does not commit to recognising and respecting the legitimate tenure rights related to the ownership and use of land of local communities.

While addressing human rights in its Social Responsibility Report, Dairy Farmers of America does not disclose a policy committing to respect human rights and ILO core labour rights. Moreover, the company does not demonstrate it has a human rights due diligence process nor grievance mechanism in place.

Dairy Farmers of America’s Supplier Code of Conduct 2019 states that suppliers must provide their workers with safe working environments, including appropriate controls, safety procedures, preventative maintenance and protective equipment. However, the company does not disclose a policy committing to respect the health and safety of workers in its operations, nor report on related data. No policies or commitments related to the other decent work topics – living wage, working hours, collective bargaining, workforce diversity, and gender equality and women’s empowerment – were found.

While Dairy Farmers of America discloses a privacy policy, this policy does not commit to protecting all personal data and only provides the right to access personal data to residents of California. No commitments related to prohibiting bribery and corruption in the company’s operations and business relations was found. Moreover, Diary Farmers of America does not disclose a global tax policy nor its approach to lobbying and political engagement. Neither does the company report on tax and lobbying expenses.