Working toward a more sustainable future for dairy

Future Focused

At Open Country, we are shaping a sustainable future across every area of our business – environmentally, socially and economically.

We strive to be socially responsible and ethically focused at every step, from sourcing raw materials to investing in process improvements and new technology. We are firm in our belief that it is possible to have sustainability as a top priority without compromising on product quality and food safety.

Our Culture

We foster a culture of quality and continuous improvement to ensure a sustainable future for food supply. Our team is always seeking smarter ways to operate through better processes, improved technology and ethical sourcing of raw materials.

Looking after our partners and communities, Open Country supports our farmer suppliers in understanding and meeting changes in legislation and their requirements (including Freshwater legislation and greenhouse gas emissions requirements of farmers). We ensure they have the tools, resources and support to meet their environmental obligations.

Measuring the Impact of our Sustainability Initiatives

Our approach to sustainability focuses on continuous improvement, efficiency, and measurable outcomes – among our farmer suppliers and Open Country processing plants.

With an emphasis on traceability and auditability across our sustainability programmes, our data-driven approach helps track progress on key sustainability metrics. Our Sustainability Advisors guide farmers toward improved environmental outcomes and compliance with evolving regulatory requirements. We collaborate with farmers to assess and manage their environmental impact, driving sustainable farming practices.

In our processing plants, we continue to invest in renewable energy solutions. We pioneered the electrification of process heat for dairy with the 13-megawatt electrode boiler at Awarua and transitioned from coal to wood pellets at Waharoa. These initiatives have reduced emissions by over 70%, and we plan to roll out similar approaches at other sites to further reduce our environmental footprint.

Our Awarua Electrode Boiler was the first of its kind to be used by a dairy company to supply steam to a milk powder dryer.

Supporting Our Farmers

We are proud to be part of New Zealand’s dairy sector, one of the most efficient producers of low-emissions dairy in the world. Our focus is on improving freshwater health, reducing emissions, enhancing efficiency and ensuring farmers are well-equipped to meet the demands of the Zero Carbon Bill and the Freshwater Legislation.

We support our farmer suppliers as they navigate an ever-evolving regulatory environment and embrace sustainable practices.

Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs) – we help farmers improve waterway health, reduce emissions and build resilience against climate change. We support initiatives that foster biodiversity, including native tree planting that enhances farm ecosystems and contributes to long-term environmental health.
Efficient Farms Programme – we help participating farmers enhance productivity while minimising environmental impact. Practices such as herd management, feed optimisation, precision fertilisation, and animal health initiatives all help to improve on-farm efficiency and reduce emissions.

As we continue to supply a sustainable, world-class product, our vision is to drive environmental responsibility and ethical practices for long-term sustainability in New Zealand’s dairy sector.

Tree Planting Partnership

For every native tree an Open Country farmer plants, the project will fund a second tree – enabling farmers to plant more native trees on farm by effectively funding one tree for every tree they plant.

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Clean Transportation

Our trucking operation only invests in Euro 6 technology to improve our freight footprint significantly. Euro 6-Standard milk tankers are less polluting and more fuel efficient.