CONO Kaasmakers is a small farmers' cooperative with a big ambition. Together we go for positive for future generations, doing everything we can to pass on our world to the next generation in a positive way.
We work in a transparent way to make the tastiest cheese. In doing so, we don't make any concessions to the quality and taste you've come to expect from our cheese.
Together, positive for future generations.
CONO wants to be involved and close to society. We realize that our actions have an impact on the climate. That is why, as a cooperative, we are committed to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015. With the goal of making the world a better place.
How do we do that?
We do this throughout our cheese chain from cow's mouth to store shelf. We first make our own share ofCO2 as small as possible. IfCO2 reduction is not (yet) possible, we invest in measures that captureCO2. We work transparently to make the tastiest cheese. In doing so, we make no concessions whatsoever to the quality and taste you are used to from our cheese. All for a fair milk price.
Our goal in a number: 30% reduction
We strive to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible within our own supply chain. First, we aimto minimize our ownCO2 emissions.CO2 emissions are measured in “kilogramsof CO2 equivalent per kilogram of CONO cheese.” We used an objective calculation model for this—specifically, a life cycle analysis conducted by Blonk Sustainability. The bottom line is: the lower the figure, the better. We have calculated that we can reduce emissions by approximately 30% by 2030. We are doing this in five areas of the “from cow’s mouth to store shelf” supply chain: on the farm, milk transport, cheese production, cheese aging, packaging, and cheese transport. We do not include by-products and co-products such as cream and whey powder in these calculations.
On our farm, we’re exploring options such as circular agriculture and carbon farming, which involvessequestering CO2in grasslands and trees, for example. And as soon as a proven innovation emerges that’s a good fit for our cheese-making operation—such as biogas, hydrogen, geothermal energy, and district heating networks—we’ll jump on board.
Sustainable stories
For CONO Kaasmakers, the climate issue is a chain issue with the cow at the centre: "from cow's mouth to shop shelf". This starts with the feed for the cow, followed by measures on the farm and in the cheese factory, in the distribution and in the packaging on the shop shelf. We want to use all our expertise and develop new knowledge to reduce our footprint and capture CO₂. In doing so, we focus on happy cows, happy farmers and happy planet, so the cows continue to graze outdoors and together with our farmers we give further substance to our ambition. Read the sustainability stories here.
