27 September 2017, Dubai UAE:  To celebrate World School Milk Day (27 September) and the launch of Arla Organic Milk in the UAE, the world's largest manufacturer of organic dairy products is giving schoolchildren across Dubai the unique opportunity to become a dairy farmer for a day and learn about how organic milk is produced. 

The interactive pop-up farm experience, hosted by Arla Foods at The Lakes Community Club, enables primary school children to trace the journey of milk from farm to fridge.

At the farm, children re-enact milking a cow, learn about the pasteurisation process, transport the milk on mini-tractors and see how the milk is packed at the dairy to ensure that consumers are getting clean and safe milk in every drop. Arla organic farmers from Denmark are also in attendance so that the children can meet the person who makes their milk and ask them any questions they may have. On completion of the journey, the children get to sample a glass of Arla Organic Milk and learn the importance of drinking milk as part of a healthy and balanced diet.   

Ann-Camilla Kjaempe, Category Director at Arla Foods, explained that the aim of this event is not only to promote the importance of milk in the growth and development of schoolchildren, but also to give children from the Emirates a better understanding of the source of their food.

“We are delighted to be launching Arla Organic Milk in the UAE and it provides the perfect platform for us to start telling and showcasing our organic story. The idea of this pop-up farm experience was to not only get children engaging with the farming process but also get them excited about it. Farmers play such an important role in our food production and, from being in the shoes of an Arla farmer for a day, the children learn, how milk from a cow in the fields of Northern Europe can make its way to a fridge in the UAE and still retain its organic goodness,” said Ann-Camilla. 

Robert MacDonald, a teacher from Star International School, Mirdif, who participated in the experience said, “For many children living in Dubai, they would have never been to a farm before and most likely have never seen pastures of grass or cows either. This was a fun and educational way for them to gain a better understanding of the organic farming process and learn through a hands-on experience where Arla’s Organic Milk comes from.”

According to a recent UAE study, education plays a significant role in raising awareness about organic products. Therefore, there is a need for more education in the UAE to help inform the public about what organic means and what the benefits are . “In response to the increased demand for organic products in the UAE , our aim is to make organic milk accessible to all families. By educating consumers on the environmental benefits of organic farming we hope to make it a more mainstream choice for all,” concluded Ann-Camilla.

Arla farmer Torben Sønderby from Denmark added, “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to educate children about organic farming. Understanding how food is produced is a great way to form lifelong healthy eating habits. As well as learning the benefits of drinking milk from an early age, the children were taught how to take good care of the cows. In organic farming that means giving them space to roam on lush green fields, when weather permits, and avoiding chemicals on the pastures in order to produce high-quality, great-tasting milk.”

Arla’s Organic Milk is a natural source of calcium, protein, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorous and many other nutrients that children need to function properly, feel well and get the most out of life. It is now available to purchase across all key retailers in the UAE.