The Säuliamt Fair Milk Cooperative, which consists of 40 family dairy farms, launched its Fair Milk product in the Swiss district of Affoltern, also known as Säuliamt, on December 2.
Säuliamt is home to about 60,000 inhabitants and as well as 110 dairy farms with an annual milk production of 20m liters.
Sold out on first day
The new brand of milk was sold in the district's 11 VOLG outlets (VOLG is the Association of Agricultural Cooperatives of Eastern Switzerland).
Within two hours of the launch, the cooperative said Fair Milk was sold out at one of the outlets and two hours later, nine of the 11 outlets had no Fair Milk products left on the shelves.
It is 100% natural in terms of content and exclusively from the region. The cows are either held in freestall barns or let out regularly to graze.
The milk is from grass-fed cows, and will keep for 10 days, which the cooperative said means production stocks must be carefully calculated.
Successful start for Fair Milk in Switzerland
Luxembourg: D'fair Mëllech
France: Fairefrance
Belgium: Fairebel
Austria: A faire Milch
Germany: Die faire Milch
Italy: Il latte onesto
Switzerland: Di Fair Milch
The cooperative, which was formed to support farmers by selling direct to the public, said the new milk means consumers know where their milk comes from, and can be assured the farmers receive a fair milk price.
EMB project
The Fair Milk project is an initiative of the European Milk Board (EMB), which said all Fair Milk initiatives have one thing in common: a fair farm-gate price.
It said the price fully covers production costs, enabling farmers to run their farms sustainably.