Corporate Responsibility

None of our actions exist in isolation. All our decisions impact upon other individuals, our immediate community or the wider environment we all share. As an organisation it is essential we act responsibly in light of changing demands, laws and ethical requirements. At an individual level, we all have to be more aware of our­ action than ­ever before.

We have a responsibility to make high quality products that enhance our consumers well-being and enjoyment. We also need to ensure that everything that we do has the same levels of concern, attention to detail and consideration for others.

• We make all decisions as if we are here forever and always consider the long term implications of our actions
• We live and breathe our corporate social responsibilities and always try to act in the spirit of these
• We take personal responsibility for living up to our company values and driving these throughout our day-to-day actions
• We work to high standards of integrity and ethics
• We always do what w­e say we will and promise only what we can deliver

Farming relations

Dairy Crest is one of the UK's largest purchasers of fresh milk, buying approximately 2.2 billion litres every year, and is committed to producing food and drink to the highest standards of safety, quality and hygiene.

We get our milk directly from dairy farmers as well as milk co-operatives - with 75% coming from farmer suppliers who are contracted directly to Dairy Crest. We value the close working relationship we have with our suppliers who are each allocated to a regional Direct Supply Manager within the Milk Purchasing team.

Given the importance of British milk to our business, Dairy Crest has a dedicated team working closely with both farmers and our customers to improve communication and understanding across the dairy supply chain.

Direct supplies

Dairy Crest buys milk from approximately 1,400 direct supplying dairy farmers, the majority of whom are located in southern and central England and South Wales. Milk from these farmers is supplied either for liquid milk consumption or for manufacture into a range of dairy products, including cheese, milk powder, butter, and cream.

The milk produced by our direct suppliers is farm assured, ensuring that we use only top quality milk produced to stringent standards governing food safety, animal welfare and protection of the environment. These standards are set out in Dairy Crests Farm Assurance Scheme, which embraces the National Dairy Farm Assurance Scheme (ADF).

The key sections of the Scheme are:

• Hygiene & food safety
• Animal housing & facilities
• Farm plant & equipment
• Feedstuffs & water
• Herd health
• Stockmanship & training
• Farm contingency procedures
• Environmental measures

To assist our suppliers to maintain these high standards, we provide an independent package of practical support and advice through the White Gold Service. This subsidised support package is to enable direct supplying farmers to maintain Farm Assurance standards with the minimum of disruption and cost.

Farm Assurance status is monitored by regular assessments, carried out for all direct suppliers by qualified Farm Assessors, on a 15-month basis.

Dairy Crest Direct

All Dairy Crest direct suppliers are members of the farmer representative organisation Dairy Crest Direct (DCD). The group was established in May 2004. Elected regional representatives sit on a Forum from which a Management Board is elected. Dairy Crest meets regularly with the DCD Board and Forum to discuss all aspects of our relationship including milk volumes, contractual issues, milk price, opportunities and initiatives. Working together has resulted in the formation of new relationships with customers of DC and it is an agreed aim to build further relationships between customers, DC and our supplying farmers.

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