The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment is fueled by strategic partnerships around the world, in addition to the active participants working on LCA science, reporting and Innovation Projects. These partnerships support and inform the Sustainability Commitment, and have helped establish the U.S. dairy industry as a national leader in sustainable agriculture.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
On December 15, 2009, the USDA recognized the work of dairy producers and the entire industry with a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement, signed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Thomas P. Gallagher, chief executive officer of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc., identified a variety of projects that can help the dairy industry achieve its greenhouse gas reduction goals and increase its financial and environmental sustainability. Both organizations renewed their partnership on April 23, 2013.
Click the image below to view three years of progress between the Innovation Center and USDA.
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This partnership has far reaching goals that will truly enable change, one operation at a time, to help the dairy industry achieve its sustainability goals. Over the next three years, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and USDA will work together on science, technology and communication/outreach.
World Wildlife Fund
World Wildlife Fund and the Innovation Center share a commitment to creating a more sustainable dairy industry: environmentally, socially and economically. The groundbreaking partnership has helped to build momentum and foster credibility within the U.S. dairy industry-led sustainability effort. Building on the shared commitment to sustainability, World Wildlife Fund and the Innovation Center Sustainability Council have identified multiple areas for collaboration, including corporate and stakeholder engagement, framework development and using science to inform process.
Center for Advanced Energy Studies
The Innovation Center, the Dairy Research Institute™ and Idaho’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) are working to develop a national research program focused on enhancing the economic viability of dairy farms and rural communities. CAES is a partnership between the Department of Energy through the Idaho National Laboratory and Idaho’s public research universities, Boise State University, Idaho State University and the University of Idaho. Through this collaborative structure, CAES combines its partner’s capabilities to execute energy research, promote education programs, conduct public policy analysis, and facilitate technology-based economic development.
International leadership and collaboration
In 2009, the international dairy industry made history with the signing of a Global Dairy Agenda for Action. Signed by seven organizations on behalf of the world’s dairy associations and companies, the Global Dairy Agenda for Action is an industry pledge to reduce carbon emissions as part of its contribution to help address global warming. This pledge builds on past performance to address climate change.
Leveraging industry expertise
Meet the Innovation Center board of directors