Innovation

Horizon is rooted as a pioneering brand within the dairy industry. It began thirty years ago when the founders helped develop and define what organic regulations should be. That manifested into the recognizable, green, United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program label that can be found on some of the most popular products in the food industry.

In true pioneering spirit, Horizon has begun their next venture, an undertaking they call The Next Frontier Project. The “first frontier” was the establishment of organic along the supply chain, while the second revolves around climate change. Horizon has pledged to be the first organic dairy brand to commit to be carbon positive from farm to fridge by 2025. It begins with establishing a starting point, or baseline. This process is known as life cycle assessment and measures the carbon footprint of a product by measuring its environmental impact, from its production, to its consumption, to its disposal. Analyzing the results then allows Horizon to identify the key stages of their supply chain to focus on in their journey to carbon positive.

Carbon positive is a step towards doing more for their cows, their farmer partners, and the land. It perfectly aligns with their mission of treating animals well, caring for the environment, and setting a higher bar in food production. Maia Reed explained, “Consumers can choose dairy, but they can also choose better dairy … and we are giving them that option of drinking a milk that’s good by the planet and good by the climate.”

Inspiration

Horizon Organic’s inspiration came from the mission that the brand was founded upon. Throughout the interview, Sierra Fowler stated that Horizon “wanted to show the way and address our carbon footprint within dairy (industry).” They wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem. Maia Reed said they “felt a responsibility” and wanted to be a leader for change. Horizon aims to educate both consumers and their competition. They hope that other companies will follow their lead in the coming years, and partner together for the greater good. “Every child deserves the brightest future and healthiest planet we can give them.”

Overall impact

Horizon plans to calculate the carbon footprint for every one of their products. One of the biggest impacts this will have on the business is the ability to get their items stamped with an official Carbon Neutral Certification. This differentiates Horizon from their competition, and ultimately improves both customer loyalty and total sales.

While carbon neutral is an achievement in itself, Maia was adamant in explaining their commitment of carbon positive was not a typo. “We wanted to show that not only can we neutralize our footprint, but we can go one step further and do better.” Being the first organic dairy brand on this mission makes a powerful statement to society. Consumers want companies to take a leading role in combating climate change. Horizon was founded as a pioneering brand, and, thirty years later, they have maintained this identity.

It is not a secret that reducing emissions has a positive effect on our environment. As Horizon works towards their 2025 ambition, it challenges other companies within the dairy industry to step up to the plate. If one company can achieve such an incredible goal, then why should their competition watch from the sidelines?

Business benefit

By implementing a greener approach to dairy farming, Horizon is rewriting the industry standard. Consumers today are more conscious about environmental impact and are making greener, more socially responsible choices. By providing consumers a dairy option they are comfortable with, Horizon is setting this new benchmark. Their proactive approach to address the concerns of dairy farming sets them apart from competition.

This carbon positive goal impacts their entire supply chain. They are considering manufacturing facilities, soil health improvements, current packaging, as well as asking third-party players to make transfer more sustainable. Horizon has also been using 28,000 acres of land to test innovative soil practices. And they are not asking their farmers to invest in this sustainable approach on their own dime. Horizon has a $15 million allocated budget through 2030 to support their farmers with low and no-cost loans to get the necessary training, tools and technology to meet this carbon positive commitment.

The Next Frontier project is meticulous yet rewarding to both the environment and the business. Companies that are not socially responsible will continue to be scrutinized and will eventually be phased out of consideration by consumers. Horizon is pioneering a better business, a cleaner industry, and a greener environment.

Social and environmental benefit

Horizon’s Next Frontier Project is a trailblazing initiative in both the Dairy and Food and Beverage industries. Studies have uncovered that farming and livestock (dairy cows) are major culprits of greenhouse gas emissions today. Having a brand of Horizon’s scale be able to take this on and create a proof of concept, while maintaining a successful business model is a tremendous victory. As part of this journey, Horizon is also aiming for 100% recyclable, compostable, and reusable packaging in the same timeframe by 2025. “This is definitely a challenging space. But in the pioneering spirit of what our brand means, we are willing for that to be us.”

Interviews

Sierra Fowler, Customer Health & Sustainability Manager

Maia Reed, Life Cycle Assessment Specialist