Danone has announced the launch of the Danone Milk Academy, a multi-year program designed to build resilience and long-term viability in dairy farming worldwide. The initiative supports both Danone’s dairy farmer partners and its farm management teams in adopting more sustainable practices and preparing for the next generation of farming.
The Academy comprises three global Centres of Excellence, each tailored to different farming models and sizes, acting as a catalyst for local trainings organized by each country. The program combines face-to-face learning sessions in key dairy regions alongside a digital knowledge platform to deliver additional training and connect farmers globally.
Participants will receive accredited training from Wageningen University & Research and Cornell University, ensuring the program meets scientific and professional standards. The curriculum covers all aspects of farm management and sustainability, including herd productivity and longevity, efficient handling of manure, soil health and regenerative agriculture for feed and crops, methods to reduce methane emissions, and core business capabilities such as succession planning, resource allocation, and risk management.
The program addresses economic and environmental pressures transforming global agriculture by providing farmers with access to scientific knowledge, technological advances, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
“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,” said Vikram Agarwal, Chief Operations Officer at Danone. “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.”
Three regional centers target different farm scales
The first global Centre of Excellence launched in Ohio, United States this week, bringing together 60 dairy farmer partners from nine countries, along with academic partner Cornell University and technical partners Lely, MSD Animal Health, Worldwide Sires, and Zoetis. A second center will open in Belgium later this year, focusing on mid-sized farms in partnership with Wageningen University. A third center will launch in Morocco in early 2026, dedicated to smallholder farmers.
The initiative will also introduce a digital learning platform, expanding access to academic and technical expertise and best practice sharing across Danone’s dairy farming community. The digital component aims to reach farmers who may not be able to attend in-person training sessions at the physical centers.
“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,” said Tom Overton, Department Chair of Animal Science and Director of the PRO-DAIRY program at Cornell University.
Geurt Heimensen, Manager of Wageningen Academy, noted that the partnership aligns with Wageningen University & Research’s ambition to create impact in practice and support the transition toward climate and nature-positive dairy. “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,” Heimensen said.
Through the Academy, Danone is working to scale up transformation within its dairy supply chain by combining expertise from academia, technical partners, and the company’s own operations into one unified global program. The initiative builds on existing farmer upskilling initiatives at Danone while expanding reach and standardizing best practices across different regions and farm sizes.
