The story of Oatly begins in Sweden in the late 1980s, with nutrition scientist Rickard Öste of Lund University. He was researching how to make the nutrients from oats into a drinkable form for people who are lactose intolerant. That research led to the launch in 1994 of the world’s first oat-based beverage, under the name Oatly.

Starting in Sweden, Oatly grew into an international brand with a wide range of oat-based beverages, yogurts, and ice cream, including the well-known Barista Edition. Its mission has remained unchanged: to help people eat and drink healthier without unnecessarily burdening the planet. Oats have a clear advantage in this regard; growing them requires significantly less water and land than producing cow’s milk and results in lower CO2 emissions.

One guiding principle is central to the development of their products: the transition from cow’s milk to oat-based beverages should be as easy as possible, without compromising on taste or quality. That is why Oatly continually invests in improving the texture and processing properties of its products, so that they can be used just like cow’s milk in coffee, dishes, and baked goods.

Oatly has since become one of the best-known names in plant-based dairy alternatives, with products available worldwide in supermarkets, restaurants, and coffee shops.