Milchhof Sterzing
Field trip to the Sterzing Dairy (Milchhof Sterzing)
On the final day of the field trip, we visit the South Tyrolean Sterzing Dairy. The co-operative was founded in 1884. Farming families from around the Brenner Pass joined forces at that time because the region’s harsh climate was more suited to dairy farming and livestock rearing than to fruit growing or viticulture. The dairy now processes around 200,000 litres of milk a day, of which approximately 26,000 litres are organic, making it the market leader in the Italian organic yoghurt sector. We were particularly interested in how the cooperative organisational structure works in practice alongside industrial processing capacity. We had already examined the structure of the dairy industry in the module as part of a seminar session involving a group presentation. The visit to the Sterzing Dairy gave us the opportunity to better understand the theoretical content we had previously covered by looking at a specific business and to link it to practical perspectives.
The co-operative in figures
The co-operative is supported by 560 members – the farmers who supply the raw milk. On average, each farm keeps around 15 cows, which points to a small-scale, rural producer base. In 2000, Sterzing was the first farm in South Tyrol to offer organic dairy products. Since 2017, hay-fed milk has also been collected and processed separately. According to the farm, demand for organic products continues to rise significantly. A similar trend is also evident in Germany: the German Organic Food Industry Association (BÖLW) also reports corresponding growth in its quarterly figures for August 2026 (BÖLW 2026). Collection and delivery take place 365 days a year; only production itself is suspended at weekends.
Separate processes for different types of milk
One point that particularly stood out during the tour was the consistent separation throughout the entire value chain: the tankers are divided internally by milk type, as are the storage tanks at the plant. This is necessary because the dairy not only produces under its own brand but also supplies supermarket chains, each of which has its own specifications for milk and milk products. If additional milk is purchased, this alters the composition of the respective batch. However, no additives are used; in this sense, the milk remains a natural product.
From raw material to the final product
We were shown the processing stages the delivered milk goes through before it becomes a finished product:
- Quality testing using a centrifuge
- Pasteurisation to eliminate unwanted bacteria
- Homogenisation
- Addition of lactic acid bacteria
- Maturation in maturation tanks (6 to 10 hours)
At the end of this production chain, the dairy produces around two million yoghurt pots a day, in over 50 flavours. With this output, the Sterzing Dairy ranks among the three largest yoghurt producers worldwide – a scale that contrasts with the small-scale structure of the producers and highlights the economies of scale achieved through cooperative consolidation.
The business is certified to standards including IFS Food, Bioland, EU organic standards (ABCERT) and ISO 22005. The latter ensures traceability from the barn to the point of sale.
What we learnt
From the seminar session and group presentation, we were already familiar with the broad structure of the dairy industry: producer prices, co-operative models, and the trend towards organic production. At the Sterzing dairy farm, we were able to learn about a specific case study. Above all, it became clear how a co-operative comprising over 500 small farms can hold its own in the market, and the logistical effort involved in producing what is essentially a simple natural product, particularly when multiple types of milk and trading partners with differing requirements come together.
As part of our exploration of structures in the food industry geared towards the common good, the visit thus served as a valuable complement to the theoretical content of the module.
Source: BÖLW (2026): Umsätze für Bio-Lebensmittel in Deutschland 2. Quartal 2026. Last accessed on 21 September 2026.
