Dairy farmers have a long heritage as responsible stewards of the land, air and water, which has enabled them to pass their farms along to multiple generations. According to research from Cornell University, dairy farmers have reduced their carbon footprint by 63 percent since 1944 due to production efficiencies, nutrition management and other improvements.
Today, the world's population growth is putting further pressure on our finite resources, along with other growing environmental concerns. Through the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, dairy farmers, dairy processors, retailers and businesses are working together so they can continue to provide products that are nutritious, produced responsibly and economically viable for all.
How We Got Here: Our Story
Sustainability today is as much about telling our story as it is about using resources wisely and sustaining our dairy farm businesses for the next generation.
Our definition of sustainability is: Providing consumers with the nutritious dairy products they want, in a way that makes the industry, people and the earth economically, environmentally and socially better — now and for future generations.
In 2009, the dairy industry committed to a voluntary goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of fluid milk by 25 percent by 2020, while adding business value to the entire industry. Individual dairy businesses and the industry as a whole need to collaborate, measure, innovate and lead to achieve long-term sustainability.
Collaboration
Measurement
Innovation
Leadership
Meet the Innovation Center sustainability team