TOP-20 of the world dairy industry
According to a study by the Dutch Rabobank, the Swiss company Nestle is by far one of the world's largest dairy companies with a turnover share of around 15%.
It is followed by the two French companies Danone (10%) and Lactalis (9%). France has two other dairy companies of global importance, Sodiaal (4%) and Bongrain (3%).
In the USA, three dairy companies have an international presence: Dairy Farmers of America, (6%), DeanFoods (4%) and Kraft Foods with 3%.
In the Netherlands, Friesland/Campina and Unilever, which is active in both the Netherlands and the UK, are among the major players in the industry. National borders have become less important. This also applies to Arla Foods, a company with a focus on Denmark and Sweden.
Of course, the New Zealand company Fonterra is of global significance with around 8 % . Fonterra is even one of the world's leading exporters of dairy products.
When it comes to Germany, only 2 companies belong to the TOP 20 group. These are the North German merger of Deutsches Milchkontor (DMK) with a market share of around 3 % and Müller-Milch in 20th place with a percentage of 2 %. The dairy industry in Germany is not very concentrated by international standards. This applies even more to southern Germany, where more than a third of German milk is produced.
With the increasing globalization of the dairy industry, a strong presence on the international milk market is necessary in order to benefit from the sharp rise in international demand. This requires a certain size in order to be able to afford the costs of global marketing. German dairy products enjoy a good international reputation, which should be exploited - possibly jointly - with appropriate export logistics.
