Horizon Organic, the largest USDA certified organic dairy brand, is taking “unprecedented action to impact the planet” by committing to being carbon positive by 2025.
Horizon Organic‘s goal is to be the first national dairy brand to become carbon positive across its full supply chain. First the company will progress to becoming carbon neutral, and then extend its efforts, 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. “This includes helping our farmer partners implement breakthrough regenerative soil practices, cow feed and diet management programs, and energy efficiency. These steps and more will play a significant role in helping Horizon Organic become carbon positive.”
“Climate change is the challenge of our lifetime—we are out of time on this issue—food and farming must evolve”
In the US, agriculture contributes approximately 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Horizon Organic’s ambition to become carbon positive in the next five years will significantly improve its impacts on the environment. The Horizon Organic journey to carbon positive will start with its new Growing Years whole milk half gallons which will be 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 Trust and is working alongside many other friends on the journey, including The Organic Trade Association and Green America’s Center for Sustainability Solutions.
“The Carbon Trust is proud to partner with Horizon Organic to certify products as carbon neutral as they deliver on their plans,” said Hugh Jones, managing director of business services, The Carbon Trust. “We applaud their ambition to achieve carbon neutrality and go beyond toward carbon positive, removing more carbon than they emit.”
The brand says it 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 its more than 600 direct farmer partners to ensure a “farmable future for all”