Nicole Rakobitsch will build a new centralized sustainability team, improve sustainability leadership
Organic Valley has promoted Nicole Rakobitsch to director of sustainability, launching a new centralized department for the nation’s largest farmer-owned dairy cooperative. While dairy faces questions around climate change and the impact of animal agriculture, Rakobitsch leads projects to improve the sustainability of organic family farms.
As Organic Valley’s new director of sustainability, Rakobitsch will lead a team of professionals and integrate experts from across the cooperative and broader organic industry.
“In 2019, CROPP reached its ambitious goal to be powered with 100% renewable electricity in our owned facilities. As an organic farming cooperative rooted in environmental stewardship and continuous improvement, we recognized that we could not stop there,” Rakobitsch said. “We know that our impact goes beyond our facilities and includes our farmers, our plant partners, hauling, transportation, retail, and our consumers.”
Rakobitsch lives and works on her small Wisconsin homestead powered by the wind and sun. In this new role, she will develop climate-smart farming programs and move Organic Valley into a more sustainable future through targeted work on-farm and throughout the cooperative.
Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents more than 1,800 farmers in 34 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom and achieved $1.1 billion in 2019 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a wide range of organic dairy, egg, and produce products. With its regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the region where it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support our local economies. For further information visit www.organicvalley.coop. Organic Valley is also @OrganicValley on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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