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Horizon Organic commits to becoming carbon positive by 2025
Largest USDA certified organic dairy brand is taking unprecedented action to impact the planet: Making its entire supply chain carbon positive
March 4, 2020
2 Min Read
Horizon Organic
Horizon Organic, the largest USDA certified organic dairy brand in the world, has committed to become carbon positive by 2025, it announced Wednesday.
Horizon Organic's goal is to be the first national dairy brand to become carbon positive across its full supply chain. As a brand that has always pioneered advancements in the organic industry, Horizon Organic will achieve carbon neutrality—and then go further to remove, reduce and offset additional emissions from entering the atmosphere, becoming carbon positive.
"Climate change is the challenge of our lifetime—we are out of time on this issue—food and farming must evolve," said Mariano Lozano, CEO of Danone North America, parent company of Horizon Organic. "This includes helping our farmer partners implement breakthrough regenerative soil practices; cow feed and diet management programs; and energy efficiency."
In the U.S., agriculture contributes approximately 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The journey to carbon positive will start with Horizon Organic's new Growing Years whole-milk half gallons, the brand's first certified Carbon Neutral product, by the end of 2021.
Horizon Organic will continue to advance product certifications in direct partnership with family farms through 2025. The brand has already begun the certification process with The Carbon Trust2 and is working alongside many other organizations, including The Organic Trade Association and Green America's Center for Sustainability Solutions.
The brand is finalizing its full life-cycle assessment and a panel of independent experts will validate the results. The life-cycle assessment will guide specific milestones toward the carbon positive achievement.
To become carbon positive, Horizon Organic will also work collaboratively with our more than 600 direct farmer partners to ensure a farmable future for all. Over the next five years, Horizon Organic will prioritize and focus on four issues:
Supporting family farmers: Horizon Organic will launch the Horizon Farmer Investment Fund (HFIF) to support family farmers as they work to implement more sustainable farming practices.
Instituting carbon-reducing on-farm practices: Horizon Organic's on-farm actions will include energy efficiency, soil regeneration, and cow feed and diet management. In a five-year partnership, EcoPractices will conduct in-depth sustainability and soil health analysis to track and inform our soil health efforts.
Off-farm actions: The brand is investing in optimized transportation and distribution, renewables, emission reductions for its manufacturing facilities, and packaging improvements. By the end of this year, 100% of Horizon Organic's beverage cartons will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Investing in carbon reductions and offsets: The brand will improve processes and sequestration potential within its value chain. To complement a full-scope carbon reduction strategy, Horizon Organic will co-create new projects that generate carbon offsets and removals, largely around U.S.-based agriculture.
To download the infographic, click on the link below.
Source: Horizon Organic
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