Farmer-owned co-operative, First Milk, has successfully certified as a business with sustainability at its heart.

Its new B Corporation (or B Corp) status marks it out as a dairy industry leader in its attitude towards its people and the planet.

First Milk, which has a creamery in Haverfordwest, has a well-established sustainability programme based on its co-operative values, which includes the UK dairy industry’s largest regenerative farming programme, as well as ambitious net zero targets.

As part of its natural evolution towards greater accountability and transparency in this area, B Corp certification means that First Milk now joins a growing group of companies that are using business as a force for good.

B Corp certification is a rigorous process, which addresses the entirety of a business’s operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.

There are more than 6,000 B Corps certified globally, and the B Corp community in the UK includes more than 1,100 companies.

Commenting on the announcement, Shelagh Hancock, Chief Executive, said: “Our successful certification as a B Corp is recognition of our hard work around sustainability and regenerative thinking and will be an important part of our journey in the future.

"We join an extensive worldwide community of like-minded organisations with shared values, and this development will help us communicate our story more effectively to our growing stakeholder base, inspiring future action as we work to deliver our vision of enriching life every day to secure the future.”

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, added: “We are delighted to welcome First Milk as a Certified B Corporation, and we know that they are going to be a fantastic addition to the community.

"Welcoming them is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the UK dairy industry.

"Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”

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