California Ag Network

Tag: Dairy Management Inc.

  • ADC Flags Data Gaps, Farm-Data Control and Methane Metrics

    The American Dairy Coalition (ADC) is raising questions with the USDA regarding data its collected.

    At issue: a request by DMI and its Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy asks USDA to expand farm-level data collection for their environmental modeling, including greenhouse gas emissions — covering detailed feed rations by animal age and class, operational water use and re-use beyond irrigation, manure management systems and more — and to make it publicly available at state and county levels.

    ADC is asking authorities to slow down, warning in a recently-published brief that DMI’s Innovation Center has set Net Zero goals driven through the FARM ES program using methane metrics that remain unsettled.

    Meanwhile, as ADC points out in public comments filed April 9, existing USDA data already show gaps — like the growing spread between reported All-Milk prices and what farmers actually receive.

    At the same time, ADC points to farm-level data already being collected through supply chains, often as a practical condition of market access. This was confirmed in ADCs recent survey So the questions become:

    • What do “voluntary” and “aggregated” really mean?
    • Who owns a dairy farmer’s data?
    • Who controls how it is used?
    • And who captures the value it creates?

    “Farm data has value, and that value is being captured,” said Sherry Bunting, ADC Dairy Market Analysis & Policy Advisor. “Dairy farmers need to remain in control of how their proprietary business data is collected, used, shared, aggregated, and monetized. We are looking carefully at this issue, which has been raised by dairy farmers and confirmed in our recent producer survey.”

    Read more about the ADC’s flagging of data here.

  • Dairy Checkoff Unveils ‘Smart Swaps’ Initiative for Schools

    The dairy checkoff has introduced “Smart Swaps,” a dairy-focused initiative designed to help schools meet evolving nutrition standards and student expectations.

    The farmer-founded National Dairy Council (NDC) created Smart Swaps for school nutrition professionals to include dairy on breakfast menus and adapt to evolving meal standards. The program offers training resources along with kid-approved breakfast recipes featuring dairy.

    “We have reimagined what’s possible with delicious, dairy-centric menu items,” said Alyson Kirchner, senior vice president of youth and schools for Dairy Management Inc. “These menu options are aligned with the new added sugar and sodium guidelines while ensuring students receive the nutrient-rich foods they love and need.”

    School meal nutrition standards limit the amount of added sugar from foods such as cereal, yogurt and flavored milk. Additionally, there are upcoming nutrition requirements that will limit added sugars and sodium across all meals served weekly.

    Student preferences were included in the development of Smart Swaps recipes with 2,500 students nationwide testing 10 menu offerings. The recipes include Strawberry Pancake Yogurt Parfait, Cherry Lime Smoothie Bowland Broccoli, Egg, and Cheese Pizza, among others.

    Nutritional analysis also was conducted to ensure the recipes align with USDA nutrition standards.

    “With the changes coming to school meal standards, there is a real opportunity for dairy,” said Katie Bambacht, vice president of nutrition affairs for NDC. “Schools will need to adjust their menus in coming years to meet the changing standards. Our Smart Swaps menus make it easy with compliant breakfast menu offerings, menu efficiency ideas and tips on milk storage.”

    State and regional checkoff teams are making Smart Swaps resources available to school foodservice professionals across the country.

    For more information about how the dairy checkoff is driving sales and building trust, visit www.dairycheckoff.com.

    About Dairy Management Inc.

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by more than 24,000 dairy farmers and dairy importers. DMI manages the national checkoff program and collaborates with state and regional checkoff teams across the United States to boost domestic and global dairy sales through research, education and marketing initiatives. The checkoff also is focused on fostering consumer trust in dairy products and the farm families behind them. DMI manages National Dairy Council and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Newtrient and GENYOUth.

  • Checkoff Strategy Focuses on Dairy’s Link to Brain Health

    The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life – encompassing pregnancy through the child’s second birthday – is a critical period for brain development. During this time, a baby’s brain grows from about 10,000 brain cells in the first month of pregnancy to a staggering 10 billion by the sixth month.

    Nutrition is a key driver of this incredible development and dairy can significantly impact a child’s cognitive development and overall success in life, thanks to nutrients including iodine and choline.

    Expecting mothers and new parents are seeking guidance on how to best nourish their child and lay the foundation for lifelong health, particularly regarding cognitive development. To address this, the dairy checkoff is launching several strategies to highlight another benefit of dairy consumption.

    Checkoff organizations Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), National Dairy Council (NDC), Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Newtrient, GENYOUth and the 16-team state and regional network are joined by MilkPEP to collectively elevate awareness and understanding of dairy’s contributions to the 1,000-day period.

    “We identified a topic that’s of pressing concern and interest among thought leader audiences and consumers and has very strong dairy science behind it,” said Heather Oldani, head of marketing communications and affairs for DMI. “This is a collective effort that has different avenues for individual organizations within the dairy community to participate. Everyone will add a drop into the bucket and those drops will create an ocean effect for a bigger awareness and impact in the marketplace.”

    The strategies include:

    • Media Partnerships:Good Housekeeping and USA Today will each publish two articles in September, introducing readers to the science-backed importance of the first 1,000 days. Follow-up articles will discuss key nutrients needed during pregnancy that are found in dairy. This campaign, which runs through October, includes print ads and social media promotions through Good Housekeeping and USA Today’s channels.

    Social Media Strategy:The checkoff and MilkPEP will engage social media influencers to share relevant content with their followers. These influencers, including young parents, will discuss the role of dairy in their experiences, post recipes featuring dairy, and offer tips for incorporating more milk, cheese and yogurt into family meals. Additionally, NDC Ambassador Marina Chaparro, a pediatric dietitian, will promote dairy’s role in brain health through her channels and bilingual Nutrachicos site, which includes a free course on feeding toddlers. Ryann Kipping, a notable prenatal nutritionist on Instagram and TikTok, also will highlight dairy’s importance during the first 1,000 days. And MilkPEP will work with three credentialed experts to share the message with the media and consumers in August.

    Health & Wellness Partnerships, Collaborations, and Pediatric Care Specialist Engagement:NDC has launched a multi-year initiative with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to develop a nutrition education program for pediatricians and pediatric trainees. NDC is also collaborating with WIC to help educate about dairy’s role as a key component of maternal health and early childhood wellness. NDC will continue to engage leading health organizations such as the National Medical Association and will be at AAP’s annual meeting in October, which expects 6,000 pediatricians in attendance. Additionally, through the checkoff’s Mayo Clinic collaboration, dairy-focused nutrition content is featured on Mayo Clinic Press’ website as well as on a dedicated Parenting Hub, including information specific to the first 1,000 days.

    Checkoff-Produced Content:the checkoff will continue promoting content via its Undeniably Dairy channels. Stories at USDairy.comsuch as Dairy Foods for Infant Brain Development & Cognition and Top Benefits of Dairy For Cognitive Development in Infancy will be shared via Facebook, X and Instagram. Video content also will be posted on TikTok in an “edu-tainment” style to address questions about what foods to eat during pregnancy and after birth.

    Megan Maisano, director of nutrition and regulatory affairs for NDC, is confident this collective strategy will resonate with health professionals and consumers given its solid scientific foundation. She notes an AAP statement identifying 14 essential nutrients for early brain development, with dairy providing seven of them.

    “At the end of the day, every parent and care provider just wants their child to reach their full potential and do better than the generation before,” Maisano said. “Good nutrition during pregnancy, lactation and early childhood plays a foundational role in enabling a child to grow, learn and thrive. Dairy is an affordable, accessible food group that contributes really important nutrients, especially in those early years.”

    For information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com/for-farmers.

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s more than 26,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

  • Dairy Checkoff Collaborates with Mayo Clinic to Advance Research & Consumer Outreach

    The dairy checkoff has entered a five-year collaboration with Mayo Clinic to explore research and consumer outreach efforts to improve public health and advance dairy’s benefits.

    The checkoff’s memorandum of understanding with Mayo entails Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), National Dairy Council (NDC) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy (IC).

    “This is a milestone moment for dairy farmers who made this possible through their century-long commitment to research and dairy nutrition,” said DMI CEO Barbara O’Brien. “This doesn’t happen without the strong national reputation farmers have built through National Dairy Council.

    Dairy Management Inc CEO Barbara O’Brien

    “This is a powerful collaboration that shows how the dairy checkoff is expanding our scientific network to bring a modernized complement to our legacy and move us further into the future.”

    The collaboration will be incorporated across Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla.

    Three focus areas

    Teams comprised of NDC scientists and registered dietitians, Mayo Clinic physicians and health professionals as well as Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy experts will lead initiatives focused on three areas:

    • Research to discover how dairy foods, particularly whole milk dairy, impacts cardiovascular health and metabolic conditions. Other potential research areas include dairy’s role on calm, sleep, digestive health and immunity.
    • Communicating dairy’s strong body of evidence, new research and insights with the scientific community, health and wellness professionals and consumers.
    • Exploring dairy’s role through digital platforms to propel people into a new way of precisely managing their wellness.

    In addition, co-created content will help debunk dairy myths and help consumers maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses.

    Marilyn Hershey, Dairy Management Inc Chair

    “This collaboration illustrates the checkoff’s consumer-first focus and our commitment to leading with credible science,” said Marilyn Hershey, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer and chair of DMI.

    For information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.

    About Mayo Clinic

    Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

    About Dairy Management Inc.

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 31,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

    About Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®

    Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® is a leadership forum that brings together the dairy community and third parties to address the changing needs and expectations of consumers and customers. Initiated in 2008 by dairy farmers through the dairy checkoff, Innovation Center leaders and members collaborate on important areas like the environment, nutrition and health, animal care, food safety, and community contributions. Through the Innovation Center, the U.S. dairy community demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement from farm to table, striving to ensure a socially responsible and economically viable dairy community. For more information, visit usdairy.com/about-us/innovation-center.

    About National Dairy Council®

    National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the non-profit organization dedicated to bringing to life the dairy community’s shared vision of a healthy, happy, sustainable world – with science as the foundation. NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health and wellness professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. NDC has taken a leadership role in promoting child health and wellness through programs such as Fuel Up to Play 60. Developed by NDC and the National Football League (NFL), Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

  • Partnership Sales Growth, Gen Z Focus Among 2021 Dairy Highlights

    Checkoff foodservice partners continued to grow sales of U.S. dairy foods and more domestic dairy headed into the international marketplace. There also were increased efforts to connect with the valued Gen Z consumer and dairy’s sustainability journey reached new levels.

    These and other results are some of Dairy Management Inc.’s top checkoff highlights from 2021.

    Despite a year with continued COVID-19 challenges, the dairy checkoff delivered on its mission to drive sales and trust, said president and CEO Barbara O’Brien, who succeeded Tom Gallagher in October.

    “We not only adapted to the pandemic’s realities, we used it as an opportunity to become even more consumer-centric and more efficient and collaborative,” O’Brien said. “We were more determined to address the challenges facing dairy head on, and we found new growth opportunities across the dairy category.

    “Through it all, we were able to showcase farmers being an essential part of the U.S. food system. It was a year where the dairy checkoff made every drop count.”

    O’Brien pointed to the continued success of the checkoff’s foodservice partnerships with globally recognized companies Domino’s, Taco Bell and McDonald’s. She said overall dairy sales at these chains grew anywhere from 3 percent to 6 percent this year.

    Some partnership highlights from 2021 include:

    • Checkoff scientists at Taco Bell’s headquarters helped the chain launch the Mtn Dew Baja Blast Colada Freeze, which features a dairy-based creamer. The team also helped Taco Bell relaunch the Quesalupa, which uses seven times more cheese than the chain’s regular taco.
    • Domino’s met consumers’ needs with new cheesy marinara and five-cheese dips paired with parmesan or garlic twists.
    • McDonald’s featured McFlurries in consumer promotions that grew additional dairy sales.

    International sales growth

    The partnership model that has worked so well domestically found more footing internationally. Selling more dairy into foreign markets is important to U.S. dairy farmers as 1 of every 6 tankers of milk heads into the international marketplace. Also, 96 percent of the world’s population lives outside the U.S. and people are adopting a Western diet and have a taste for American cuisine, including cheese.

    In June, DMI entered a partnership with Alamar Foods Company, which owns 455 Domino’s stores in the MENAP (Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan) region. DMI’s partnership will focus on about 300 locations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a goal of increasing U.S. cheese sales.

    For Pizza Hut, the focus in Asia-Pacific was driving value promotions in support of takeout and delivery across key markets in the region, including Japan, Korea and Indonesia. To date, U.S. cheese growth across Asia-Pacific has more than doubled since the on-set of the partnership. Also, Domino’s Japan launched two menu items featuring U.S. cheese – the Jumbo Pizza and the Pizza Rice Bowl. This innovation combines a familiar Japanese dish with the toppings of pizza. Since the beginning of the DMI/Domino’s Japan partnership in 2019, U.S. cheese volume at the chain has doubled.

    Further growth of U.S. dairy sales internationally is being achieved through the checkoff-founded U.S. Dairy Export Council. Through October, total U.S. dairy exports were up 11 percent from the same period a year earlier and remain on a record pace. Export value was up 17 percent to $6.48 billion for the same period, also a record pace.

    Enhanced Gen Z, sustainability efforts

    Checkoff teams nationally and locally continued work to reach Gen Z consumers (ages 10 to 23), who constitute 20 percent of the population. They have about $100 billion in purchasing power, which doesn’t account for the influence they have on their parents when it comes to products brought into the home.

    This is why the checkoff launched a wave of the Undeniably Dairy campaign in October to create deeper connections between Gen Z and dairy and give them new reasons to choose it over other products. “Reset Yourself with Dairy” is a youth-centric initiative that is using various media channels and marketing strategies, including gaming, social media influencers and digital content, as well as retail and college campus promotions, to engage with Gen Z.

    And U.S. dairy’s sustainability efforts received a boost of momentum in many ways. First, checkoff-led efforts helped finalize 5-year, up to $10 million agreements with Nestlé and Starbucks to support research, on-farm pilots and efforts to increase voluntary adoption of environmental practices and technologies across all farms through the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative (NZI).

    Additional NZI funding – a $10 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) – will allow for the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration project to perform feed production research over the next six years. Also announced was the Greener Cattle Initiative, a research program developed with FFAR and five partners to provide $5 million over five years to support research on enteric methane mitigation from cattle.

    More 2021 checkoff highlights

    • The farmer-founded Fuel Up to Play 60 program was repositioned in a fresh way to help students and educators navigate the new school year. Fuel Up to Play 60 unveiled an easy-to-navigate website (www.FuelUpToPlay60.com), educator dashboard and an enhanced student app that allows teachers and parents to learn about the program and access resources focused on dairy nutrition and dairy farmers’ care for the environment.
    • National Dairy Council conducted various dairy-focused educational outreach efforts, which included farmers, with key thought leaders heading into September’s United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS). The event convened international stakeholders from across the food system with the goal of making food production and consumption more sustainable and will serve as a call to action to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
    • National and local checkoff teams, along with dairy companies and other organizations, helped move 664 million pounds of dairy into Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks during its recent fiscal year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). This is an increase of 195 million pounds from the previous year for the checkoff partner, which seeks to distribute more than 900 million pounds of dairy annually by 2025.
    • E-commerce milk sales grew 24 percent and cheese sales by 16 percent (through October versus previous year), fueled by the checkoff’s partnership activities with Amazon and Kroger.
    • Fluid milk partners Darigold, Kroger and Shamrock Rocking Protein launched or expanded value-added products this year with checkoff support.

    More checkoff highlights and strategies are available at www.usdairy.com/for-farmers

    About Dairy Management Inc.

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 31,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

  • Soil Health Institute Selected as Soil Science Research Partner for Dairy Net Zero Initiative

    The Soil Health Institute (SHI), the non-profit charged with safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils, has been selected as the soil science research partner for Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration, an essential project to advance the work of the U.S. dairy Net Zero Initiative (NZI).

    In support of the NZI, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) has awarded a $10 million grant as the on-farm pathway to advance the industrywide 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals set by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

    The funding will support a six-year project – “Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration: building soil health to reduce greenhouse gases, improve water quality and enable new economic benefits” – that will produce data to be broadly shared among the dairy community to:

    • Provide measurement-based assessments of dairy’s greenhouse gas footprint for feed production
    • Set the stage for new market opportunities related to carbon, water quality, and soil health

    The FFAR grant will be matched by financial contributions from NZI partners such as Nestlé, the dairy industry, including Newtrient, and in-kind support for a total of $23.2 million. The funds will be managed by the Dairy Research Institute (DRI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity founded and staffed by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) to conduct vital research on behalf of the industry. SHI will work alongside DMI scientists to address research gaps in feed production and manure-based fertilizers that, once filled, will enable new markets, incentives, and investments in dairy sustainability.

    “Addressing the U.S. dairy industry’s emissions is a critical solution to climate change,” said FFAR Executive Director Dr. Sally Rockey. “I know dairy farmers are working hard to decrease their environmental footprint and I’m thrilled to support their efforts by advancing research needed to adopt climate-smart practices on dairy farms across the country.”

    Through foundational science, on-farm pilots, and development of new product markets, NZI aims to knock down barriers and create incentives for farmers that will lead to economic viability and positive environmental impact.

    “After six years, we will have data that accurately reflect our farms’ greenhouse gas footprint for dairy crop rotations with consideration for soil health management practices and new manure-based products,” said Dr. Jim Wallace, senior vice president of environmental research for DMI. “We expect to develop critical insights that link soil health outcomes, such as carbon sequestration, with practice and technology adoption. This will provide important background information to support the development of new carbon and water quality markets.” 

    Specifically, SHI will be responsible for:

    • Providing the design, implementation, and technical expertise, from plot to national scales, for measuring soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil carbon storage.
    • Quantifying the role of new manure products and soil health systems for reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of dairy feed production.

    “Through the adoption of soil health systems, research has shown many on-farm and environmental benefits,” said Dr. Cristine Morgan, Chief Scientific Officer at the Soil Health Institute, ”We’re excited to apply these learnings to a dairy context and validate, beyond a proof of concept, real-world outcomes of adopting soil health management and novel manure products on soil health, water quality, and greenhouse gases that have a positive impact for the planet.”

    The project will be executed across four dairy regions responsible for about 80 percent of U.S. milk production: Northeast, Lakes, Mountain, and Pacific. It entails a collaboration of NZI, the Soil Health Institute, and leading dairy research institutions, including: Cornell University, University of California at Davis, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of Vermont, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research in Kimberly, Idaho.

    Dozens of dairies representing climates and soils of these major production regions will participate in a baseline survey of soil health and carbon storage. Additionally, eight farms, including five operating dairies, two university research dairies, and one USDA ARS research farm, will participate in the project. These pilots will be used to engage farmers in soil health management practices and monitor changes in greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon storage, soil health, and water quality.

    FFAR builds public-private partnerships to support bold science that fills critical research gaps. Working with partners across the private and public sectors, FFAR identifies urgent challenges facing the food and agriculture industry and funds research to develop solutions.

    NZI is an industry-wide effort led by six national dairy organizations: DMI, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, International Dairy Foods Association, Newtrient, National Milk Producers Federation, and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. This collaboration represents a critical pathway on U.S. dairy’s sustainability journey.

    Ultimately, NZI hopes to support the industry to advance toward its collective goals, realize untapped value to support economic viability, and enable other industries and communities to be more sustainable.

    For more information about dairy sustainability, visit www.usdairy.com/sustainability.

    ABOUT SOIL HEALTH INSTITUTE

    The Soil Health Institute is a global non-profit with a mission to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and advancement. We bring together leaders in soil health science and the industry to help farmers, ranchers, and landowners adopt soil health systems that build drought resilience, stabilize yield, and benefit their bottom line. The Institute’s team of scientists, holding doctorates in various soil science and related disciplines, has developed highly effective soil health targets and standardized measurements to quantify progress at achieving regenerative and sustainable agricultural systems, and leads the cutting-edge fields of carbon sequestration and decoding the soil microbiome. Healthy soils are the foundation for rejuvenating our land. Together, we can create a secure future for all, mitigate the effects of climate change, and help agriculture and organizations meet production and environmental goals at scale. Visit soilhealthinstitute.org to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

    ABOUT DAIRY MANAGEMENT INC. 

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 35,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. 

    ABOUT THE INNOVATION CENTER FOR U.S. DAIRY®

    The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy is a forum that brings together the dairy community to address the changing needs and expectations of consumers through a framework of shared best practices and accountability. Initiated in 2008 by dairy farmers, Innovation Center members collaborate on efforts that are important both to us and our valued customers – issues like animal care, food safety, nutrition and health, the environment and economics. The Innovation Center is committed to continuous improvement from farm to table, striving to provide the world responsibly produced dairy foods that nourish people, strengthen communities and foster a sustainable future.

    ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE RESEARCH

    The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement USDA’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

  • New Cheese Export Opportunities With Middle East Domino’s Partnership

    Amy Wagner

    Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) has entered a partnership with Alamar Foods Company, which owns 455 Domino’s stores in the MENAP (Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan) region.

    DMI’s partnership will focus on about 300 locations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a goal of increasing U.S. cheese sales.

    Amy Wagner, DMI executive vice president of global innovation partnerships, said the checkoff will offer technical expertise on menu development and marketing support to Alamar.

    “This is an extension of an already strong Domino’s partnership and a tremendous opportunity because pizza is a lesser developed category in the Middle East,” Wagner said. “As we looked to increase dairy sales internationally, we knew American cuisine is very popular there and pizza is loved. We see an upside to grow even more pizza sales that will use U.S. cheese through innovation and marketing support from DMI.”

    This is DMI’s first venture into the Middle East with a partner, but it’s not the checkoff’s first in the international marketplace. In 2019, DMI began a partnership with Domino’s Japan where the volume of U.S.-sourced cheese has doubled since its launch, Wagner said.

    “These partnerships illustrate the importance of export growth to U.S. dairy and how our work supports the U.S. Dairy Export Council’s efforts to diversify growth into new regions of the world,” said Pennsylvania dairy farmer Marilyn Hershey, who serves as chair of DMI.

    While DMI is building its international presence, Domino’s has long been established outside of the United States. Domino’s is the No. 1 pizza company worldwide with 11,000 of its 17,000 stores located in 90-plus international markets. Domino’s had global retail sales of more than $14.3 billion in 2019, split almost evenly between its domestic and international businesses.

    “As a global pizza brand, we love nothing more than selling delicious pizzas with lots of cheese to our customers worldwide,” said Joe Jordan, executive vice president of Domino’s International. “Connecting DMI with our master franchisee, Alamar Foods, provides a great opportunity to deliver even more dairy goodness to pizza menus around the world.”

    Wagner also emphasizes that about 96 percent of the global population lives outside of the U.S., a fact that supports DMI’s mission to seek more opportunities such as this.

    “We have aspirations to have an even larger partnership presence throughout the Middle East and Africa where populations are increasing,” Wagner said. “We’re beginning with two very strong markets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

    For information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.

     

    About Dairy Management Inc.

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 31,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

  • Pizza Hut Now using 25% More Cheese in Support of the Dairy Industry

    Pizza Hut has been a great partner of our National dairy checkoff through DMI, and is now serving 25% more cheese on their pizzas — some great news to hear during national Dairy Month.  Watch this brief interview with DMI’s Vice President of Product Development, Nitin Joshi for more details.

  • Undeniably Dairy to Boost Milk Sales with Consumer Engagement

    Remember the old got milk commercials that got consumers excited about dairy?  Today, the big dairy campaign is known as “Undeniably Dairy”.  This is funded through the National Dairy Checkoff program, managed by Dairy Management, Inc (DMI).  Watch this brief interview with DMI Chair, Marilyn Hershey, and read more about DMI’s efforts to promote the industry in California Dairy Magazine.

  • USDA, Dairy Industry In Partnership to Promote and Enhance Environmental Sustainability

    Hanford, Calif., (February 21, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to jointly promote and enhance environmental sustainability in the dairy industry. The pact extends and builds upon a MOU originally signed in 2009.

    USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue (r) shakes hands with dairy farmer Paul Rovey after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Department of Agriculture and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

    Secretary Perdue signed the MOU yesterday with Arizona dairy farmer Paul Rovey, chairman of Dairy Management Inc. and an Innovation Center board member, at DeGroot Dairies in Hanford, CA.

    “USDA and the Innovation Center will continue to work together to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies and increase energy efficiency improvements on U.S. dairy farms,” Secretary Perdue said. “These improvements will help producers diversify revenues and reduce utility expenses, while they strive to support their families and local communities by operating economically, environmentally sustainable dairy farms.”

    “USDA has resources that can help the dairy industry be successful but in many cases they are difficult to find because they are spread out through various agencies,” Secretary Perdue continued. “This MOU hopefully will be a potential navigator to the Innovation Center and give a ‘green light’ to interact with our agencies and centralize our various research and voluntary conservation efforts to reach their goals.”

    USDA’s support for agricultural and waste-to-energy research has played a key role in the agreement’s success to date. USDA will continue to work on enhancing the application and approval process for Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs, to make the process more efficient and tailored for producer convenience. USDA will also continue to examine ways to expand the award of conservation grants for sustainability initiatives by producers, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations and state and local governments.

    The Innovation Center agrees to work with its member companies to partner with USDA in communicating and educating producers on the value of sustainable practices while encouraging them to take advantage of conservation program opportunities.

    “Over the years, we have pursued creative and common-sense ways to work together that have allowed us to develop research, technologies, and on-the-ground practices that move us closer to our collective goals,” said Barb O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center. “The Innovation Center is proud of the synergy that has resulted from our collaboration with USDA, and we have no question that this public/private partnership works in the best interest of farmers, our dairy community and, most importantly, consumers of dairy who trust us to produce nutritious products they can feel good about feeding to their families.”

    USDA’s national and locally-based teams of subject matter experts and portfolio of programs help improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers, and the quality of life in rural America.

    “This MOU allows the dairy industry to continue to build on all of the good work we have done for years with USDA,” Rovey said. “It allows our industry to have a voice and work within a structure where we can continue making progress toward our shared goals and priorities. We are thankful to have USDA at the table with us.”

    Previous and current collaborations have resulted in research, resources and a variety of programs that have advanced sustainability within the dairy community, including anaerobic digesters on farms, food waste reduction and the development of nutrient recovery technologies through NRCS and dairy’s Newtrient company.  Additionally, the Farm Smart Project led to the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Environmental Stewardship module. This voluntary tool empowers farmers to identify opportunities for sustainability improvements on their farm as detailed within the FARM program. Ninety-eight percent of the U.S. milk supply participates in FARM.

    Note – CDFA’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program is also working for enhanced environmental sustainability on dairies.