Strengthening our Responsible Supply Chain

The a2 Milk Company doesn’t only measure success by our final products. We also take responsibility for how they’re made, the people involved, and the impacts created along the way.

These responsibilities extend well beyond our own operations, across a value chain that spans multiple countries and includes a large number of third-party suppliers, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and delivery providers. We are working to build a more complete understanding of this value chain and the areas where we can make the most meaningful impact.

As we continue developing this understanding, we are starting to work more closely with our partners to support the early stages of strengthening our value chain through more responsible and resilient practices. This is a long‑term journey and we recognise we are in the early phases of developing and embedding these practices.

We are focused on three main priorities:

• Ensuring human rights are respected
• Sourcing ingredients responsibly
• Improving the environmental performance of our operations

Setting Standards Across our Value Chain

Strengthening responsible practices in our value chain means addressing a diverse range of circumstances, including those within our direct control, those where influence is shared, and those where better information is needed.

Our goals are designed to deliver timely impact while laying the foundations for continuous improvement.

Key goals:

• Support high standards for ethical and responsible production across our supplier network
• Improve transparency and traceability across our value chain
• Source ingredients responsibly where we have direct purchasing influence
• Improve operational sustainability by reducing waste, managing water responsibly, and improving energy efficiency

Human Rights

Our responsibility to uphold the human rights and dignity of people connected to The a2 Milk Company extends to those who work with us both directly and indirectly.

We recognise that human rights risks can arise in different ways across sourcing, processing, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution. These may relate to labour practices, working conditions, health and safety, or other factors shaped by local contexts and industry dynamics. These are well understood considerations within the dairy and consumer goods sectors, and we take them seriously.

The a2 Milk Company operates through a broad network of suppliers, processors, manufacturers, transport providers and other partners across multiple countries.
This includes more than 200 dairy farms that supply A1 protein free milk through trusted processors ranging from small family-run operations to larger enterprises with employed workforces.

Across this diverse supply base, we apply consistent expectations that reflect our values, while recognising different regulatory environments and operating models. Clear standards, ongoing due diligence and transparent relationships form the foundation of how we work with suppliers and processors who share our commitment to responsible and respectful practices.

Each year we publish a Modern Slavery Statement in line with Australian regulatory requirements. This outlines our due diligence processes, identified risks, and the actions we take to prevent and address modern slavery risks across our value chain.

Read our latest Modern Slavery Statement ->

Pursuing Transparency Across our Value Chain

Beyond its supplier farmers and processors, The a2 Milk Company works with a vast network of manufacturers, distributors, transport providers and brand licensees. Maintaining shared standards across this full value chain requires transparency and collaboration.

We are working with partners to improve visibility of operating practices, potential risks and performance across this network, particularly where activities sit beyond our direct control.

Our expectations are set out in The a2 Milk Company Responsible Sourcing Policy, which outlines the environmental, social, and ethical requirements we expect all suppliers to meet. This policy guides our due diligence processes, informs supplier engagement and helps ensure consistent standards across our global value chain.

We are focused on expanding oversight and targeted action in areas of higher risk or material impact.

Sourcing Ingredients Responsibly

Our products are developed to deliver safe and effective nutrition. While raw milk is central to our products, our infant milk formula and powdered nutrition products also rely on a number of key ingredients sourced globally.

Global supply chains, particularly those linked to commodity markets with multiple intermediaries, present inherent challenges for traceability and risk management. Intermediaries often sit between the original producer and the final manufacturer, making visibility across every step of the supply chain more complex.

Where we have direct responsibility for manufacturing, we are reviewing and strengthening our approach to responsible sourcing, with a focus on high-volume and high-commodity ingredients. Where ingredient sourcing is managed by suppliers and processors, we work closely with them to improve transparency.

Operational Environmental Management

Where The a2 Milk Company owns and operates facilities, we manage environmental impacts directly at a site level.

Our operational sustainability efforts currently focus on three priority areas: 

• Water use
• Waste management
• Energy efficiency

We are also working to extend our efforts in areas that support long term environmental improvement, including emissions reduction, packaging sustainability, and overall site environmental performance monitoring. These actions complement our broader Climate and Nature and Sustainable Packaging strategy.

To strengthen how we monitor and improve environmental performance, the Company is progressing toward implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) across its operated manufacturing facilities. 

The ESG reporting library contains all voluntary and mandatory climate and ESG disclosures, performance updates and detailed sustainability data.

Learn More ->