DAVA Foods Finland’s Baltic Sea commtment

Organisation: DAVA Foods Finland Oy

Time: 11/30/2021 – 11/30/2025

Description:

DAVA Foods Finland Oy is the leading company in processesing, packaging and distribution of fresh shell eggs in Finland. Kultamuna eggs have been a familiar and responsible choice of Finnish consumers for decades. Kultamuna eggs are produced in Finland without cages. DAVA Foods also produces different kind of egg products for restaurants and for the food industry. Approximately 60 Finnish contract farmers ensure that the egg products are of top quality. DAVA Foods Finland Oy is owned half by Finnish Munakunta Co-operative and half by DAVA Foods Holding A/S, which is an industrial egg company group operating in the Baltic Sea region.
Eggs have several nutritional values. According to a study conducted by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) in 2021, the Finnish egg’s footprint in different environmental categories is already very sustainable when compared to other sources of animal protein. In its Baltic Sea Commitment, DAVA Foods Finland Oy commits to promoting regenerative farming methods in the production of hen fodder, which is mostly produced on its contract farmers’ own farms. The aim is to sequester carbon in the soil, improve soil health and biodiversity as well as to improve farms’ profitability and vitality. The company also commits to sustainable nutrient management and advancing nutrient recycling. Making a Baltic Sea Commitment is one tool for continuous improvement in mitigating climate impacts and nutrient load in the lifecycle of Kultamuna eggs, enabling Finnish consumers to rely on this development work.
DAVA Foods Finland Oy makes this commitment to the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) for the years 2021–2025. The commitment focuses on the research work on the Carbon Action platform. The four targets of the commitment are:
1. Carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling and improving soil health in fodder farming.

• DAVA Foods Finland encourages its contract farmers to educate themselves in regenerative farming methods in the e-college for regenerative farming (Uudistavan viljelyn e-opisto). The aim is to
• provide all contract farmers with a possibility to familiarize themselves with regenerative farming and with tools for examining production on their own farm from the regenerative point of view.
• encourage interested farmers to join the Carbon Action Club, which offers news topics and knowledge on regenerative farming.
• DAVA Foods Finland offers 2-day intensive training for selected contract farmers. The aim is to
• support participants in experimenting and introducing regenerative methods in fodder farming on their own farms.
• start testing and using regenerative methods in fodder farming covering a significant share of the whole egg production volume.
2. Promoting manure utilisation. According to the study by Natural Resources Institute Finland, using organic fertilizers in fodder farming has a smaller environmental footprint compared to mineral fertilizers. DAVA Foods Finland develops its contract producers’ possibilities to enhance manure utilisation i.a. by
• providing producers with knowledge and skills in optimising manure utilisation in regenerative farming and circular economy.
• further developing possibilities for cooperation with crop farms to improve manure nutrient utilisation.
• recognising new possibilities, such as producing biogas on a farm scale or in a partner operator’s biogas plant or processing manure into fertilizer products.
3. Promoting renewable energy use in farm operations. In cooperation with its contract farms, DAVA Foods Finland promotes for example
• utilisation of manure in biogas production.
• use of other renewable fuels, like woodchips, in farm heating.
• production and utilization of solar and wind energy on the farms.
4. Launching an egg product whose environmental footprint is being progressively reduced. Together with selected contract producers, DAVA Foods Finland develops and launches a non-cage egg product whose environmental footprint, negative impacts on the Baltic Sea and climate are being progressivley reduced within the production chain. In addition to regenerative fodder farming, methods may include especially developing manure utilisation, and for example growing the share of renewable energy on the farm. The aim is
• to audit the farms producing eggs whose environmental footprint is being progressively reduced and thus make sure that the related methods are being used.
• that DAVA Foods Finland pays these producers a premium for sold eggs with a reduced environmental footprint.
• to offer consumers a concrete example in the form of a product of a production chain where regenerative farming and nutrient recycling are integrated.
By this commitment, DAVA Foods Finland joins the Carbon Action platform, which enables collaboration in the food chain and the development of its own operations to promote regenerative farming. Furthermore, DAVA Foods Finland commits to communicate about the Carbon Action platform in its general communication channels as jointly agreed and DAVA Foods Finland is provided with a Commitment Maker logo and communication material by BSAG.
The commitment period is five years, and the Baltic Sea Commitment will be followed-up through yearly meetings between DAVA Foods Finland and BSAG. In addition, at an agreed point within the five-year period, the commitment targets will be refined or confirmed.