Esko Tool Enhances Sustainability Reporting for Valio’s Dairy Farms
Source: DairyNews.today
Valio's dairy farms will soon be able to leverage the new Esko tool to streamline their ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) sustainability reporting. Set to launch this spring, the tool simplifies the creation of clear ESG reports that align with sustainability standards, enabling farmers to meet the requirements without specialized expertise. This solution is expected to ease processes such as securing bank financing and supports Valio’s broader sustainability goal of achieving zero emissions in milk production by 2035.
Currently, sustainability reporting for farms is voluntary, but there is growing pressure from financiers who are increasingly prioritizing sustainable practices in farm development projects. ESG reports are becoming a critical tool, as they provide transparency on the climate and nature impacts of operations, along with the steps taken to advance sustainability within the farm’s operations. ESG frameworks monitor three key areas: environmental impact, social responsibility, and governance.
Hanna Castro, Development Manager for Valio’s Primary Production, emphasized the importance of accurate and reliable data in sustainability reporting. “Sustainability is an increasingly important competitive factor for farms that are expanding their operations. The Esko tool, developed by Valio, aims to simplify the ESG reporting process for dairy farmers,” she said.
ESG Reporting Gaining Importance for Farm Financing
As financiers demand greater transparency on both direct and indirect emissions, farms are facing the need to provide practical evidence of sustainable practices. The Esko tool will help farms generate ESG reports that facilitate securing investment funding. Without the tool, compiling emissions data and other necessary figures could prove time-consuming and complex for farmers.
The tool simplifies data entry by directly pulling information from various systems. For instance, farmers can automatically access data from the Carbo® Farm calculator and the Naseva Centralised Health Care Register for Finnish cattle herds. An AI assistant also supports farmers by guiding them through data input, making the process more efficient. Developed by Valio in collaboration with IT company Gofore, Esko will be available to all 3,200 Valio dairy farmers by the end of May.
“Esko helps farms better communicate their sustainability efforts to various stakeholders. It enables farmers to track their progress in different sustainability areas and benchmark their performance against peers, fostering continuous improvement in sustainability management,” said Castro.
A Step Toward Sustainable and Efficient Farm Operations
Esko represents a growing trend of digital solutions that prioritize data-driven decision-making, automation, and user-centric design. These tools not only promote sustainable practices but also improve operational efficiency and growth.
“Solutions like Esko help businesses operate more sustainably, increase efficiency, and automate key processes. What’s more, they are designed with the end user—the dairy farmer—in mind. Esko transforms Valio’s sustainability data and expertise into a functional tool that supports daily operations and the long-term success of dairy farms,” said Outi Määttä, Director of Intelligent Industry Business at Gofore.
Hanna Castro, Development Manager for Valio’s Primary Production, emphasized the importance of accurate and reliable data in sustainability reporting. “Sustainability is an increasingly important competitive factor for farms that are expanding their operations. The Esko tool, developed by Valio, aims to simplify the ESG reporting process for dairy farmers,” she said.
ESG Reporting Gaining Importance for Farm Financing
As financiers demand greater transparency on both direct and indirect emissions, farms are facing the need to provide practical evidence of sustainable practices. The Esko tool will help farms generate ESG reports that facilitate securing investment funding. Without the tool, compiling emissions data and other necessary figures could prove time-consuming and complex for farmers.
The tool simplifies data entry by directly pulling information from various systems. For instance, farmers can automatically access data from the Carbo® Farm calculator and the Naseva Centralised Health Care Register for Finnish cattle herds. An AI assistant also supports farmers by guiding them through data input, making the process more efficient. Developed by Valio in collaboration with IT company Gofore, Esko will be available to all 3,200 Valio dairy farmers by the end of May.
“Esko helps farms better communicate their sustainability efforts to various stakeholders. It enables farmers to track their progress in different sustainability areas and benchmark their performance against peers, fostering continuous improvement in sustainability management,” said Castro.
A Step Toward Sustainable and Efficient Farm Operations
Esko represents a growing trend of digital solutions that prioritize data-driven decision-making, automation, and user-centric design. These tools not only promote sustainable practices but also improve operational efficiency and growth.
“Solutions like Esko help businesses operate more sustainably, increase efficiency, and automate key processes. What’s more, they are designed with the end user—the dairy farmer—in mind. Esko transforms Valio’s sustainability data and expertise into a functional tool that supports daily operations and the long-term success of dairy farms,” said Outi Määttä, Director of Intelligent Industry Business at Gofore.
