Bound to South Tyrol’s Traditions, Committed to the Future
Since the company’s genesis, Mila has based its philosophy on
responsible interaction with nature and the preservation of South Tyrol’s cultural heritage. Mila thus answers the demands of today’s consumers, who increasingly lean towards products that are
pure, natural and of superior quality and towards companies that respect
ethical criteria throughout production.
Mila defines its corporate image as “Nature’s Value Chain”. At the core of this concept is the imperative to conduct a modern business while still
preserving the vibrant traditions and folk
culture of South Tyrol’s seasonal mountain pasturing. As a result, Mila’s business operations implement
high ecological and ethical criteria, and maintain them through every phase of production.
Mila bases its philosophy on the following principles:
- Breed livestock in a species-appropriate way and respect the animals’ natural living conditions
- Carefully monitor livestock feed to ensure that it is vegetable fodder certified free of GMOs
- Closely regulate the conditions under which milk is collected and transported
- Guarante freshness by processing milk within 24 hours of milking
- Always maintain environmentally friendly principles and comprehensive respect for South Tyrol’s unique alpine ecosystem
- Motivate mountain farmer members to focus on milk quality instead of quantity by monitoring milk production, providing counselling and linking remuneration to quality
All cooperative members practise species-appropriate husbandry and respect animals’ psychological need for space. Mila’s mountain farmers maintain a stock of twelve cows on average. This is an extremely low number compared to other regions, and is an inherent plus for the region in the face of widespread industrial-scale livestock farming.
In the summer, the farmers lead some of the cows up to the alpine pastures so characteristic of South Tyrol, where they find pristine conditions and natural food. The quality and flavour of Mila milk and its other dairy products reflect these unique maintenance conditions.
Mila monitors the parentage of individual animals very strictly. The company guarantees that each animal’s heritage is verifiable in order to exclude any form of genetic manipulation. Mila also monitors medical therapies very stringently; this goes hand-in-hand with regular, accurate veterinary checks.
Mila’s mountain farmers feed their animals, for the most part, on fresh grass. It is thus essential that they pasture the cows up on the region’s alpine meadows and grazing lands during the summer. By repeatedly mowing the alpine pastures and drying the grass, Mila’s dairies are able to produce in-house a majority of the fodder necessary to get through the winter.
When the dairy farmers need to use supplementary fodder, they use only feed that is of 100% vegetable origin and unquestionably free of GMOs or other additives. Mila applies this quality control all the way back to the feed vendor. Dairies are permitted to purchase only certified fodder, most of which is produced locally.
Mila considers the hygiene and cleanliness of its milk tankers to be of the utmost importance during the collecting and transporting Mila milk. The company also oversees the proper maintenance of ideal temperatures during transport very closely.
The quality of Mila’s milk and other dairy products stems from the freshness of the raw material and the fact that it is processed immediately: it is always processed within 24 hours of milking.
All of the ingredients Mila uses are, without exception, guaranteed to be GMO free. Through every phase of production, Mila puts its milk and other dairy products through a series of rigorous tests and laboratory analyses. Naturally, Mila follows hygiene standards prescribed by law such as specific levels for E. coli, Staphylococcus, Listeria and other bacteria. In addition, though, Mila carefully tests quality criteria such as milkfat percentage, protein content, and indicators of thermic treatment throughout every phase of production.
Mila also actively supports continuing education for its employees. The company views this as a way to guarantee professionalism and specialisation, and an opportunity to deepen both.
The approximately 3,500 mountain farmers working for Mila play a vital role in the conservation and care of South Tyrol’s nature and landscape. Mila always keeps the protection of this unique alpine cultural landscape in the foreground when the company makes agricultural and economic decisions.
Mila also puts major emphasis on using 100% recyclable packaging materials for its entire range of products. Likewise, Mila subjects its own production process to rigorous environmental protection standards from start to finish. Every year Mila develops a concrete Environmental Plan in order to continually optimise its environmental protection measures.
Mila provides its dairy farmers with ongoing, direct advice regarding how to meet challenges presented by the dairy industry, as they come up. In addition, Mila sets a price point for each member’s milk based on the quality of the milk delivered. Mila’s members are thus extremely motivated to produce high-quality milk instead of bulk milk. You can taste the result of these efforts in the premium-quality, natural flavour of Mila milk and dairy products.
