British Oats 3

Source: Danone

The move to local sourcing, coupled with a new production process, has delivered on average an estimated 25% lower carbon footprint and 20% reduction in land use

Danone’s recent investments in the UK, to make its Alpro Oat drink from 100% British oats, has helped the manufacturer reduce its impact on the planet.

The move to local sourcing, coupled with a new production process, has delivered on average an estimated 25% lower carbon footprint and 20% reduction in land use.

It has also seen a 70% reduction in water use across the product lifecycle versus Alpro’s previous oat original and no sugars one-litre drink recipes in the UK.

The brand made the switch to 100% British oats for its one-litre Oats and No Sugars recipes, using oat flour from the Navara Oat Mill near the Alpro factory in Kettering.

Based on the carbon footprint reduction validated by a comparative lifecycle assessment conducted by Foodsteps and Alpro’s 2025 volume forecast, this move equates to an estimated 6,000-tonne reduction in Alpro’s carbon footprint in 2025.

“Reducing our impact on nature is a key part of our Danone Impact Journey, so it’s really encouraging to see the real-world benefits of our move to local sourcing and new recipe,” said Hannah Cornick, head of sustainability and social innovation at Danone UK & Ireland.

“Whilst our oat drinks already provided shoppers with a lower-carbon option, we’re pleased our recent actions have reduced this environmental impact even further,” she added. “Our shift to 100% British oats, combined with a new production process that requires less energy and less water, has been a valuable investment that ultimately allows us to deliver a healthy, tasty product to our customers in a more sustainable way.”

The brand plans to move to fully UK sourced oats across its Barista Oat milk line by the end of the year.