FDBusiness.com

Nestlé has confirmed First Milk, the British farmer owned dairy company, as its long-term dedicated supplier of fresh milk in the UK for the Kit Kat and Nescafé brands.

In 2010, a dedicated group of First Milk farmers was set around Nestlé’s site at Girvan in Ayrshire, the partnership will now be expanded with a farmer supply group now set up around Nestlé’s Dalston site in Cumbria from July 2014.

Supplying farmers will be included in the Nestlé First Milk Sustainability Partnership, with all parties committed to benefit the whole supply chain and the environment through:

* Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions

* Improve the proportion of milk which comes from forage

* Developing on-farm biodiversity work.

The partnership will involve First Milk Farmers who supply Nestlé to develop a more sustainable, and efficient supply chain that has a reduced environmental impact.

The milk for Nestlé Girvan comes from First Milk farms, all from within a 50 miles radius. The milk is made into chocolate crumb, a key ingredient in the production of Nestlé’s chocolate in the UK and Ireland. In Girvan, the 65 farmers have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.7%. In addition, six of the farmers have now committed over 60 acres of land to develop biodiversity programmes. This follows the lead of Nestlé UK & Ireland to plant wildflower meadows on all its sites to attract butterflies and other species.

From July farmers who supply milk to Nestlé Dalston will join the partnership. The site is home to products such as Café Menu sachet products such as hot chocolate and cappuccinos.

Fraser Brown, sales director at First Milk, says: “The partnership with Nestlé benefits our farmers, the local communities around Girvan, Dalston and the wider environment. Nestlé’s commitment to a relationship built on the foundations of a short sustainable supply chain is a vision which First Milk and its British farmer owners fully share. The progress which has been made on resource efficiencies, carbon reduction and biodiversity meadows has only been possible as a result of the unique way in which this partnership works.”

Brett Whitfield, head of procurement, Nestlé UK & Ireland says: “The partnership is a ‘win-win’ milk supply chain partnership. Working alongside First Milk and its farmers our supply chain will be more sustainable, more efficient and have a reduced environmental impact. Nestlé has the scale to positively impact on the lives of our suppliers and their communities due to the intake of milk into the Girvan and Dalston site.”