Aurora Organic Dairy Phase III - Corporate Sustainability Report

Abstract

This paper represents the work of the third and final phase of a three-stage sustainability collaboration regarding organic milk production and business practices by Aurora Organic Dairy (AOD). AOD is the leading provider of private label organic milk to retailers throughout the U.S., and operates five farms in Colorado and Texas as well as processing plant in Colorado. This study built on the life-cycle analysis (LCA) research conducted in the first and second phases to develop a prototype for the company’s first Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR). The study also updated select data for another year of performance reporting covering the company’s energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) and water use from April 2009 through May 2010. The research team worked with senior management to assess the company’s stakeholders and sustainability goals and determine relevant reporting metrics. The prototype reporting framework was development based on a review of published CSRs, literature on CSR reporting best practices and consultation from industry experts. The final prototype leverages previous LCA studies and current year data updates to provide recommended quantitative and qualitative information to be reported in AOD’s publicly released CSR. The prototype links ongoing operational metrics to corporate sustainability goals, values and internal governance and accountability efforts to create a broad view of sustainability impacts and activities across the entire company. In addition to providing strategic recommendations to AOD management for prioritized tracking of information, the work also included documenting process recommendations for developing future AOD corporate sustainability reports.