![]() ![]() ![]() The Northeast has seen a steady decline in its dairy farms over the last several decades. “Danone’s announcement was not isolated but part of a pattern of producers throughout the region losing access to markets,” says NOFA-NY’s Baildon. He says the notice period of one year “goes well beyond our contractual obligations with the farms and beyond industry norms,” and that the company is in communication with a number of stakeholders, including some of the organizations sponsoring the petition, to look at additional support options.ĭanone, which reported revenue of more than 25 billion euros in 2019, says it remains “deeply committed” to its B Corp mission, which includes a goal to have all its North American companies B Corp certified by 2025. “Other related factors, unique to this region, include a lack of available processing alternatives, a scarcity of available drivers and long routes, requiring multi-day jobs, further exacerbating the driver shortage,” says Adamo. In response to Modern Farmer asking if these petitions will lead to any changes in Danone’s decisions, Chris Adamo, Danone North America’s vice president for government affairs, policy and partnerships, says a number of continuing challenges led to what he called the “difficult decision.” One of those challenges included picking up and transporting milk to the processing facility the company uses. “It’s also a loss for the communities that no longer have access to local organic milk.” ![]() ![]() “It’s potentially devastating for those farms that have lost their contracts with few if any alternate buyers,” says Katie Baildon, policy co-ordinator for Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), another organization that sponsored the petition. The first petition asked Danone to reverse its decision, while the second asked the Certified B Corp company to “come to the table to find a solution,” extend the termination date to give farmers 18 months instead of 12 to plan for the transition and offer a contract severance or retirement package to the farmers, many of whom have been with the company for more than a decade. “It’s a pretty big deal for a processor to withdraw from an entire region,” Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) executive director Sarah Alexander recently told the Lewiston Sun Journal as MOFGA, along with eight other organic farming organizations, sent two petitions to Danone. Even New Hampshire’s two affected farms will impact its shrinking dairy sector, now numbered at 95 farms. Vermont, where 28 of the terminated farms reside along with Cabot Creamery and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, is the largest producer of milk in New England. New York’s dairy sector, which had 46 affected farms, is the fourth largest in the nation. Photo courtesy of Faithful Venture Farm.ĭairy is the top agricultural product for the three other states. The Mehuren family is optimistic that they’ll find another buyer for their organic milk in the coming months. A hit of this size is likely to have a ripple effect on local economies and farm-related businesses. As Maine’s second largest agricultural product, dairy accounts for more than $570 million a year, according to the Maine Dairy Industry Association. Their 45 registered Holsteins produce around 2,700 pounds of milk a day, and they also raise beef animals and a handful of sheep.įaithful Venture, along with the 13 other Maine organic dairy farms that received termination letters, are part of the state’s 196 dairy farms, 40 percent of which are organic. The Mehurens have been shipping their milk to Horizon since 2008, when they transitioned the dairy to organic. The fourth-generation dairy Faithful Venture Farm in Searsmont, Maine was not surprised to receive its notice, says Sadee Mehuren, who operates the farm with her father, grandfather and five siblings in the tiny town near Maine’s midcoast region. The affected farms in New York, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are part of a larger trend of decline in small dairy farms driven by milk pricing and consolidation. In late August, 89 Northeast organic dairy farmers were informed by Danone that their contracts with Horizon Organic, which the French-based company owns, will be terminated in August 2022. ![]()
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