Aurora Organic Dairy makes progress toward corporate citizenship goals

Aurora Organic Dairy, a Boulder, Colo.-based provider of organic milk and butter for retailers' store brand programs, said it made strides in 2014 toward the achievement of its five-year corporate citizenship goals. These goals include greenhouse gas emission and energy use reductions per half-gallon equivalent of milk; greater milk processing water efficiencies and water recycling; and further advancements in animal care and employee-related goal areas.

Additionally, Aurora Organic Dairy’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) steering committee increased its commitment to goal areas that have proven more difficult to achieve, Aurora said. The company's recently published 2015 Corporate Citizenship Report (www.aodmilk.com) provides an update from its inaugural report, published in 2013, and details progress toward long-term corporate citizenship goals.

“Our vision for a more sustainable future is to tread more lightly on the planet, treat our people and animals with respect, and give back to our local communities,” said Marc Peperzak, founder and CEO of Aurora Organic Dairy. “As a vertically integrated producer and processor of organic milk, our primary data has enabled a unique approach to measuring our impacts and setting CSR goals. We conducted our first life cycle assessment of a half-gallon of milk in 2008, and now we are tracking our progress against goals that will improve our overall impact on animals, people and the planet. We are proud of our progress, and will continue our commitment to being a good corporate citizen.”

To ensure its report is consistent with leading standards for CSR reporting, Aurora Organic Dairy prepared it in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Guidelines and Food Processing Sector Supplement. GRI is an international independent standards organization that helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate their impacts on various environmental and social issues, Aurora Organic Dairy said.