The Danone Milk Academy uniquely arms farms of all sizes with the knowledge and tools they need to adapt and thrive as modern, resilient businesses. Based on three international Centres of Excellence, combined with local trainings and a digital platform accessible to all, this new upskilling program aims at scaling up transformation within Danone’s dairy supply chain. It is a new cornerstone of Danone’s long-term partnership with its community of dairy farmers worldwide.
Today, Danone announces the launch of Danone Milk Academy. A first-of-its-kind multi-year programme designed to build the resilience and long-term viability of dairy farming worldwide, supporting both Danone’s dairy farmer partners and its farm management teams. It brings academia’s, technical partners’ and Danone’s expertise together in one unified global program. It will support farm partners in strengthening their businesses, adopting more sustainable practices, and leveraging technology to prepare for the next generation of farming.
The Academy comprises three global Centres of Excellence, each one tailored to different farming models and sizes, acting as a catalyst for local trainings organized by each country. The programme combines face-to-face learning sessions in key dairy regions alongside a digital knowledge platform to deliver additional training and connect farmers globally. It builds on the strong foundations of existing farmer upskilling initiatives at Danone.
Participants will receive accredited training from Wageningen University & Research and Cornell University, ensuring that the programme meets the highest scientific and professional standards. The curriculum covers all aspects of farm management and sustainability, including herd productivity and longevity, and the efficient handling of manure. The programme also covers soil health and regenerative agriculture for feed and crops, explores ways to reduce methane emissions and strengthens core business capabilities such as succession planning, resource allocation and risk management.
The first global Centre of Excellence was launched in Ohio, USA this week, bringing together 60 dairy farmer partners from nine countries, as well as academic partner Cornell University and technical partners Lely, MSD Animal Health, Worldwide Sires (Select Sires) and Zoetis. A second centre will open in Belgium later this year, focusing on mid-sized farms, in partnership with Wageningen University. This will be followed by a third centre in Morocco in early 2026, dedicated to smallholder farmers.
The initiative will also bring a new digital learning platform, expanding access to academic and technical expertise and best practice sharing across Danone’s dairy farming community.
The Danone Milk Academy is central to Danone’s strategy to contribute to strengthening the global dairy ecosystem and advancing its Danone Impact Journey, a long-term roadmap to create more sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems. By investing in skills and innovation, Danone aims to support farmers in reducing emissions, improving productivity and accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture.
Vikram Agarwal, Chief Operations Officer, at Danone, said:
“What it takes to thrive as a farmer these days is changing. At Danone, we’re committed to giving our farmer community unparalleled access to the knowledge, expertise and tools that will make their businesses more agile and resilient and ultimately will strengthen the dairy supply chain. By working hand in hand with our farmer partners, academic institutions, and technical experts, we are fostering knowledge exchanges and building capabilities bridging science and practice for more impact. Through the Milk Academy, we’re accelerating the transformation of dairy farming together — making it future-fit, resilient, and ready to meet the needs of customers and consumers.”
Tom Overton, Department Chair of Animal Science and Director, PRO-DAIRY program, Cornell University
“The Cornell PRO-DAIRY and Agricultural Workforce Development teams are excited to partner with Danone on the Milk Academy. Working with farmers to help them enhance their management skills to improve cow health and well-being, management of people and their businesses, and stewardship of the environment is our passion, and we are delighted that Danone has chosen to partner with us.”
Geurt Heimensen MSc, Manager Wageningen Academy
“We look forward to contributing our scientific knowledge and expertise to this Danone programme and to the wider transition towards climate- and nature-positive dairy. This aligns strongly with WUR’s ambition to create real impact in practice. It’s about ensuring that our knowledge reaches those who need it most, in various continents. As an independent research and education institute, Wageningen University & Research is committed to empowering people with the skills and insights needed to drive sustainable change”.
Through this initiative, Danone is strengthening its commitment to the dairy sector, providing farmers with access to the latest scientific knowledge and technological advances, as well as peer-to-peer learning opportunities. This practical response addresses the economic and environmental pressures that are transforming global agriculture.
About Danone (www.danone.com)
Danone is a leading global food and beverage company operating in three health-focused, fast-growing and on-trend Categories: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. With a long-standing mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices while committing to achieve measurable nutritional, social, societal and environment impact. Danone has defined its Renew strategy to restore growth, competitiveness, and value creation for the long-term. With over 90,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €27.4 billion in sales in 2024. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Mizone, Oikos and Silk). Listed on Euronext Paris and present on the OTCQX platform via an ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading sustainability indexes including the ones managed by Moody’s and Sustainalytics, as well as MSCI ESG Indexes, FTSE4Good Index Series, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and Access to Nutrition Index. Danone’s ambition is to be B CorpTM certified at global level in 2025.
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