Focused for the future of dairy farming. The ALDI SÜD Group can announce the launch of a strategic partnership with FrieslandCampina to support an initial 60-plus dairy farms in Germany and the Netherlands to strengthen farm resilience, improve soil health and biodiversity through the implementation of regenerative agriculture techniques, and reduce on-farm greenhouse gas emissions.
Picture Credit: Anke Ehlers (ALDI SÜD Group), Albert Stegemann (FC member dairy farmer), Mireille Einwachter (FrieslandCampina), © Gertjan van Ginkel
Backed by significant investment from ALDI SÜD Group, the partnership was officially launched on 11 November 2026 at a dairy farm in Germany, bringing together farmers and representatives from ALDI SÜD Group and FrieslandCampina to discuss the measures being implemented on farms and how closer collaboration across the dairy supply chain can support wider change.
On-farm action
What do grass-clover rotations, hedges and renewable diesel have to do with the dairy products on supermarket shelves? They are among the practical measures being supported through a new partnership between the ALDI SÜD Group and FrieslandCampina.
Agricultural programme
A 3-year agricultural programme intended to strengthen farm resilience by supporting German FrieslandCampina member farmers to implement new farming practices and reduce inputs, with the intention of delivering environmental benefits.
Each farm follows a tailored transition plan based on its specific opportunities for improvement, with measures such as grass-clover rotations with less fertiliser, improved soil structure and planting hedges. The programme follows the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform's outcome-based Regenerating Together framework, supporting farmers to deliver continuous measurable improvements on-farm.
Carbon reduction programme
A 5-year carbon reduction programme supporting Dutch FrieslandCampina member farmers drive greenhouse gas emissions reductions on participating Dutch farms, through measures including on-farm use of HVO renewable diesel, and improved feed and manure management.
From January 2027, the programmes are set to expand further, with the German regenerative agriculture initiative increasing from 30 to 40 participating farms, with the Carbon Accelerator project in the Netherlands also set to grow.
By combining regenerative agriculture practices and carbon reduction initiatives, both parties intend to help farmers adopt more sustainable and resilient farming practices while maintaining productive and economically viable dairy businesses.
The partners also plan to share insights and learnings across the dairy sector to encourage wider adoption of approaches shown to be effective. The longer-term ambition is to support broader collaboration across the dairy value chain and encourage more industry partners to contribute to the transition towards more resilient and lower-emission dairy farming.
Putting Force for Good into practice
The partnership is an example of how ALDI SÜD Group is putting its new sustainability strategy, Force for Good, into practice. The strategy recognises that challenges such as climate change, pressure on natural resources and the long-term resilience of food production cannot be addressed by one company alone and focuses our efforts and resources on driving systems change.
For the ALDI SÜD Group, that means that we now work more closely with suppliers and farmers and investing in practical solutions within key supply chains. Together with FrieslandCampina, we are supporting farmers to test and implement measures on the ground, learn from what works and use those insights to inform wider progress.
The longer-term ambition is to help strengthen the resilience of dairy farming and the supply chains ALDI relies on, supporting the continued availability of high-quality, affordable dairy products for customers. This connection between action on farms, stronger supply chains and the food customers depend on is at the heart of Force for Good.
