
PENNY and the Berchtesgadener Land dairy successfully launched the "Future Builders" climate protection support programme in October last year. Now the two partners are massively expanding the financial basis of the project: Since the beginning of March, PENNY has been offering PENNY "Zukunftsbauer" natural yoghurt (1.5% and 4%) - bottled by Berchtesgadener Land Molkerei - nationally in all 2,200 stores. As part of the "Future Farmer" joint project, PENNY is waiving part of its sales margin on all Berchtesgadener Land dairy products and the Berchtesgadener Land dairy is doubling the amount.
The funding pot, which according to initial estimates will amount to more than 350,000 euros per year, will provide up to 10,000 euros per farm to farmers of the cooperative dairy who wish to optimise the energy efficiency of their farms. The joint project between retailers, dairies, farmers and customers aims to contribute to climate protection and the preservation of family-run farms in the Alpine region.
Shelf stopper
"Agriculture is severely affected by climate change due to increased temperatures and the accumulation of extreme weather events - and is also an important part of the solution. One measure to effectively limit the consequences and risks of climate change is to increase energy efficiency in agriculture. This is where the joint support programme "Zukunftsbauer" from the Berchtesgadener Land dairy and PENNY comes in. And not with a raised index finger, but as partners at eye level. As a retailer, we want to help committed farmers to follow this path by providing financial support. Because it simply costs money," says Philipp Stiehler, Head of Produce at PENNY.
Sticker on the cooling system & bracket
"Together with our Berchtesgadener Land dairy, our farmers have been following a path characterised by Sustainability for decades. We were pioneers in renouncing genetic engineering, glyphosate and animal feed from overseas. The fact that climate protection is important to our many small family businesses in the mountain region is demonstrated by the high level of participation. 278 farmers have already started by taking part in the information event, 268 more are on the waiting list - and more are joining all the time. Above all, we are pleased that the joint project means that the sustainable commitment of our farmers is recognised and rewarded by retailers and consumers. In this way, we are all contributing to the preservation of small family farms in the Alpine foothills," emphasises Florian Zielinski, Key Account Manager REWE Group at Molkerei Berchtesgadener Land. The first 50 energy consultations have already taken place directly on the farms, and the action plans are now being submitted and reviewed. This means that the first money from the funding pot can soon reach the respective "farmer of the future".
Future builders: consulting as a central component of the funding programme
The Zukunftsbauer project started with an online information event for all interested farmers. This was followed in November 2021 by workshops on "Energy efficiency in agriculture" as part of the Berchtesgadener Land dairy's "Knowledge Workshop". Since January 2022, practical tours with visits to model farms have been offered. This is followed by individual energy checks at the farms participating in the support programme. The farmers then receive customised proposals for measures that can include saving energy, increasing efficiency and the possible expansion of renewable energies. Once the proposals have been developed into their own concept, participants can submit this to the Berchtesgadener Land dairy. A panel of experts evaluates the concepts according to a set catalogue of criteria. The most convincing concepts for measures are selected, which then receive a maximum of up to 10,000 euros in funding, regardless of the size of the company.