Products and Design
Beyond Omega-3s:
How Systems Thinking Helped Organic Valley Yield a Host of Sustainability Benefits

Organic milk comes with a dose of healthful omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent heart disease and are linked to additional health benefits. Normally associated with seafood or dietary supplements, these valuable nutrients can also come from some dairy products, according to research published last month in PLOS ONE. The study included milk from Organic Valley, the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, which has been on the path to understanding the fatty acid profile of its products since 2009. What the coop experienced along the way provides companies in all industries three important reminders about effective corporate sustainability efforts.

1. Metrics matter

The new research, led by Washington State University, tested over 380 whole milk samples to compare the omega fatty acid content of organic and conventional milk. The organic milk had 62 percent more omega-3 fatty acids and 25 percent fewer omega-6 fatty acids, with almost the identical fat content as conventional milk. This resulted in not only more desirable omega-3s in the milk but also what some consider a more preferable proportion of omega-6 to -3 fatty acids for better health.

This pattern has consistently been repeated over the years that Organic Valley has been testing its products. The coop’s work has gone further to demonstrate that the amount of pasture or forage in the cow’s diet is proportionate to the omega fatty acids in the milk.

Jonathan Reinbold, Sustainability Program Manager at Organic Valley, adds that, “Our research demonstrates that higher quality forage elevates the omega-3 content even higher. Pasture is key, especially high-quality pasture.” This information has helped the coop develop and provide resources, from soil testing and consultation to feed analysis and animal nutritional guidance, so members can make informed changes at the farm.

As a result, the omega-3 fatty acid metric is driving progress. There may be opportunities for new or untapped metrics across companies and industries that can push toward other beneficial changes. Can your company research and deploy new data for key issues important to your business? Could you enhance women’s empowerment, water availability or chemical sustainability?

To have the power for change that Organic Valley has experienced, the metrics should:

• Be simple and relatively easy to measure
• Connect to a changeable practice
• Relate to the desired benefit

2. A systems approach wins

The higher levels of omega-3s in Organic Valley’s milk are the result of the coop’s systems approach to cultivation. There are interdependent considerations that interact dynamically, including nurturing the soil, caring for the animals and managing the pasture. To support its farmers in implementing best practices, Organic Valley has a team of experts that includes a soil agronomist, veterinarians, and a ruminant nutritionist.

“Taking care of land and animals will produce better food and a healthier consumer,” Reinbold says.

This goes way beyond the benefit of higher omega-3s in the milk. The land stewardship and effective grazing encouraged by Organic Valley can create a carbon sink by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. There is also potential for less soil erosion and better water-holding capacity in the land. Reinbold notes that Organic Valley farmers experience “mutually beneficial activities producing vibrant ecosystems on the farm and high-quality food.”

It is important for companies to better understand such interdependencies in their supply chain. I wrote about the decline in the bee population as another illustration of the need for this view. Such insights may reveal mutually reinforcing benefits and greater sustainability.

3. Human health is part of sustainability

How many companies are evaluating human health side-by-side with greenhouse gas emissions and labor ethics? Surprisingly, very few. The recent upsurge in attention to chemicals of concern in products like soaps and cosmetics highlights the need for explicitly including human health in sustainability initiatives. While companies have worked to comply with laws and regulations on product safety, companies now need to change their approach to effectively improve the health and environmental profile of the materials in their products.

Organic Valley’s holistic approach to cultivating higher levels of omega-3s brought the coop a surprising range of sustainability benefits beyond a healthier product. What breakout progress could await companies that incorporate new metrics, system thinking and human health into their business decisions?