ROSEMONT, Ill. – The checkoff-founded Innovation
Center for U.S. Dairy announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will open doors for increased
collaboration in areas of mutual interest and allow the agency to gain a deeper
understanding of and support for U.S. dairy farmers and the broader dairy community’s
environmental sustainability efforts.
The MOU, which formalizes a relationship that began in 2012,
was announced during the fall meeting of the Dairy Sustainability Alliance®,
Nov. 9-10. The MOU allows the EPA to participate as a member of the Alliance,
which consists of more than 130 companies and organizations that collaborate on
issues affecting the U.S. dairy industry, accelerate progress toward shared
sustainability goals and contribute to the industry’s long-term viability.
“This MOU is significant as it indicates a recognition of
U.S. dairy’s leadership in environmental stewardship and brings greater support
for creating a sustainable future that is economically viable for U.S. dairy
farmers and the dairy community,” Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy President
Barbara O’Brien said.
“The MOU will explore mutually beneficial opportunities for
dairy farms of all sizes, geographies and practices to gain benefits from EPA
resources, including research grants, educational training materials and data.”
The Alliance meeting, with more than 400 registrants
spanning the dairy value chain, featured updates on ongoing initiatives to
inform and share progress toward the industry’s collective 2050 environmental
stewardship goals including:
·
A panel featuring representatives from The
Nature Conservancy and Unilever explored how dairy farms can find economically
viable ways to increase habitat and support ecosystem health. Michigan dairy
farmer James Webster shared how through cover crops and natural areas that
increase soil microorganisms and provide habitat for animals, his farm is
helping to address biodiversity challenges that are increasingly important to
consumers.
·
A discussion led by Dr. Frank Mitloehner,
professor and air quality specialist and director of CLEAR Center at University
of California, Davis, addressed a modified metric for quantifying the global
warming potential of short-lived emissions, such as methane, more accurately.
·
Representatives from Land O’Lakes, Great Lakes
Cheese and Schreiber Foods shared insights and lessons learned from efforts to
address packaging waste and identify future sustainable innovations.
‘Nourish Dialogue Dinners’ Outreach
The meeting included a summary of National Dairy Council’s
“Nourish Dialogue Dinners.” Dr. Katie Brown, senior vice president of
sustainable nutrition for National Dairy Council, said 25 dinners brought
together 350 stakeholders across the food system for conversations and explore
areas of common ground, challenges and solutions to benefit people and the
planet.
Farmers, including Louie Kazemier of Oregon’s Rickreall
Dairy, were part of each dinner to bridge a connection back to farms and to
showcase their sustainable practices. Kazemeir said when he attended his
dinner, he at first “felt like a fish out of water.”
“When we sat down for dinner and introduced ourselves, as
soon as I said, ‘I am a dairy farmer,’ I would say 80 percent of the
conversation around the table was directed to me,” Kazemier said. “There were
doctors and nutritionists who were fascinated about what happens on a daily
basis on a dairy farm.
“I know some dairy farmers can be hesitant to do these
opportunities, but when they come up, take them. You’ll be surprised at how
well we are received.”
Key learnings can be found in a Nourish Dialogue Dinner
report at USDairy.com.
COVID-19 Impact
Another session focused on how COVID-19 has impacted the
workplace. Kevin Wulf, who works at Riverview, LLP’s facility in Arizona, said
the implementation of safety protocols, such as wearing masks, social
distancing, checking temperatures and access to hand sanitizers, were effective
in the company not having COVID-19-related illnesses. In fact, he credited the
company’s steps in limiting overall sicknesses as compared to previous years.
“We did not see the usual spike in other illnesses because
of the protocols, which was a positive in a time of negativity,” Wulf said.
“They are probably here to stay even after COVID leaves.”
Beth Mielke, a plant manager with Kraft Heinz’s cream cheese
facility in Wisconsin, said while her team faced some illnesses, she also saw a
spirit of camaraderie take over.
“Because we had an increase in absenteeism, our folks have
been more willing to cross train and fill the gaps,” she said. “People
understand they want to keep things moving, they know this is their
livelihood.”
Wulf said because dairy and agriculture in general were
deemed essential, it “sends a strong message that we are a vital piece of our
economy and our society.” But he also looks forward to the time when normal
relations can resume.
“We would like to get back to in-person meetings as quickly
as possible so we can keep our culture and keep the connection we have between
each other,” he said. “We feel relationships are best built person to person.
Even if you’re at a social distance, you can feel more connection than when
you’re screen to screen.”
‘Dairy 2030’ Project
DMI CEO Tom Gallagher concluded the meeting with a look to
the future amid a constantly changing landscape, saying “unprecedented change
means unprecedented opportunity.” He spoke of the checkoff-led “Dairy 2030”
plan that has engaged teams of futurists, academia and leaders from within and
outside the dairy industry to take a holistic look at how people will consume
food and information 10 years from now, and the steps dairy can take today to
ensure relevance and success.
He said consumers, especially younger generations, have
increased expectations related to a company’s or industry’s commitment to
sustainability, and that has been heightened by COVID-19.
“I think sustainability for Gen Z will be the same level of
entry fee that taste, price and accessibility are,” he said. “It is real, and
Gen Z will punish companies that they don’t believe are sustainable and will
reward those that are.
“I see nothing but opportunity arising from sustainability
as long as we’re proactive and take the actions needed to tell our story and
make sure sustainability is profitable for farmers and others in the value
chain.”
Gallagher acknowledged the work already being done by the
collective industry and efforts led by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to
align the industry around these efforts.
“We’re not starting from scratch with the work we have
done,” he said. “We still have a long way to go to get to carbon neutral and
for sustainability to become profitable for every farmer in this country, but
we are so far down the road.
“This is about doing the right thing – something that
farmers and the industry have always done – and builds the pathway that enables
further and widespread progress.”
For information on U.S. Dairy’s sustainability efforts,
visit www.usdairy.com/sustainability.