“Our cooperative, Sodiaal, cooperative is launching an innovative sustainability bonus designed to support our farmer-members and reduce the carbon footprint of their farms.”
As France’s leading dairy cooperative, Sodiaal is driving the environmental transition by supporting our farmer members. With a 2030 target to reduce the gross carbon footprint per litre of milk on our members’ farms by 20% (down 5.1% recorded since 2019), our cooperative is accelerating and innovating to decarbonise:
In April 2024, Sodiaal introduced a sustainability bonus , a first in the French agricultural sector to encourage all farmer members to reduce their carbon emissions and maintain biodiversity areas on their lands.
This innovative scheme was developed in collaboration with our farmer members. The bonus, open to all 8,090 farms within the cooperative, is
based on each farm’s carbon assessment, calculated using the SelfCO2 tool.
60% of farms have applied to benefit from the bonus scheme.
Farmers can earn a bonus on the price of milk of up to €5 per 1,000 litres.
environmental
performance
Use of the gross emissions per litre of milk indicator from SelfCO2 (data available in the RDLC)
Use of the ratio between the biodiversity area of SelCO2 and the total utilised agricultural area (data available in the RDLC)
Biodiversity area = Hedgerows + permanent grassland
Being united as a cooperative
is also about this:
ENCOURAGING, SUPPORTING, ADVISING AND GUIDING FARMERS THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSITION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DAIRY PRODUCTION.
Antoine Thibaut,
Sodiaal member
Testimony
I first heard about the launch of the sustainability grant at a regional council meeting. Right from the start, I found the idea appealing because it builds on existing achievements and the farm’s current situation. As I have long been committed to reducing greenhouse gas emission, notably through CAP2’ER assessments, and to improving the economic performance of my farm, the grant recognises my efforts in these areas. Knowing that the bonus is based on information already provided, I was keen to apply for it right from the start!
After ticking the box ‘I wish to benefit from the sustainability bonus’
on the extranet, I received €4 per 1,000 litres on the following month’s bill. Regarding…