Building a sustainable, healthier future

We believe that dairy nutrition is critical to health and wellbeing.

There are finite land and natural resources available across the planet, so meeting the global need for food will become a very real challenge for us all.

At Volac, we are convinced that our dairy products and services provide health improvements and productivity benefits that can play a meaningful part in a solution.

Our drive for sustainability means that we are very conscious of meeting the needs of today’s farmers, without compromising their ability to prosper in the future.

We care for people and places and believe we can help make dairy sustainable if we support farming communities and improve the economic, environmental and social aspects of dairy farming.

Fundamental to our sense of social responsibility is making the best use of resources available to us and minimising the environmental impact of our business.

Our CSR commitments reflect our desire for sustainable success and being conscientious in the way we deliver our Purpose.

They address five areas of the business and we have developed transformational targets for each:

  • Procurement

  • Operations

  • Customers

  • Colleagues

  • Communities

Procurement

Transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain

Human and environmental dimensions of our supply chain define the nature of our products and their sustainability profile.

Our procurement target is for full transparency and traceability throughout our supply chain — each element of our supply chain being evident, from source to customer — particularly for the palm oil and whey that we use.

We recognise the importance of the provenance of our raw materials, so we only work with trusted partners and suppliers who abide by our CSR commitments.

We review them continuously to make sure that they conform to the highest ethical, food safety and nutritional standards.

Operations

Low carbon, water and land footprint

Our operations-related target is to keep our carbon, water and land footprint to a minimum.

We believe that managing our operations in an environmentally and socially responsible manner is not only essential to our business, but also the best way for us to be a world-class sustainable manufacturer.

This is why we constantly work towards improving our waste management and cultivate biodiversity across our sites.

We are prudent in the way we manufacture and efficiently use the resources available to us, while delivering products which conform to industry-leading safety and integrity standards.

We aim to conserve our raw materials, while adding as much value as possible to them, for the maximum benefit of our customers.

For us, sustainable manufacturing is synonymous with world-class manufacturing.

Customers

Sustainable dairy farming

Our business depends upon understanding, influencing and supporting the dairy industry.

Volac is in a unique commercial position, because we obtain our key raw material — whey — from the dairy sector and then sell animal nutrition products back to farmers.

We champion the superior nutritional value of whey protein — it is a critical ingredient in our performance and consumer-driven products — and we also collaborate with manufacturers to develop the nutritional capabilities of their products.

We believe that shaping and maintaining a globally competitive and sustainable dairy industry to the maximum benefit of our customers is vital and this is a significant target for us.

There are many challenges to be addressed and opportunities to be seized and making the dairy sector sustainable will require a balance of:

  • Increased productivity
  • Maintaining high standards of animal welfare and health
  • Reducing the carbon footprint of milk production
  • Improving resource efficiency
  • Creating greater biodiversity on farm.

The most effective way for us to make a difference is by working with like-minded regional and national organisations that promote practical solutions to these challenges and continue to offer innovative animal nutrition products of low environmental impact.

Colleagues

Diversity and inclusion

Investing in great people makes us a strong business and this inevitably has a positive impact on our commercial performance. Our target in this area is to continue building a more inclusive and diverse workplace.

We strive to create a happy, healthy working culture and such an environment helps our people to live our values and deliver our purpose.

By investing in our people, we empower them. Our belief in them enhances their health and wellbeing and encourages them to achieve their full potential — it is an important part of making Volac sustainable.

Communities

Thriving rural communities

Our transformational target in this area is the creation and maintenance of thriving rural communities, reflecting our huge enthusiasm for supporting dairy farming in general.

We want to make a real difference to people’s lives and extend the longstanding care we have for the communities with whom we already work.

We also want to unlock the potential of communities and improve productivity across the dairy supply chain, by sharing knowledge and investing in appropriate initiatives.

We support groups and charities through our social giving and work closely with a charitable foundation — The Betty Lawes Foundation — named after Betty, the wife of Dick Lawes, one of the founders of Volac.

The Foundation provides support through charitable donations to causes that are local or have a connection to Volac and by match-funding the fundraising activities of employees.