In the spirit of Earth Week, the U.S. Dairy Export Council has assembled some of the dairy industry's best sustainability visuals for easy recycling. 

IMPROVEMENT: The elegant simplicity of this graphic from a video posted on YouTube by Midwest Dairy shows quantifiable environmental progress.

At dairy industry gatherings across the country, you hear the same statement about a vital issue for dairy and the world. 

"We have to tell our U.S. dairy sustainability story."

David Ahlem, Hilmar Cheese Co. president and CEO, made the point just last week at CheeseExpo 2022 in Milwaukee.

"We own the science," said Ahlem, one of three CEOs on a panel discussing exports. "Now we need to own the narrative. We need to be proactive and we need to be aggressive."

The panel's moderator, U.S. Dairy Export Council President and CEO Krysta Harden, wholeheartedly agreed, as did the other panelists. 

The sustainability story challenge is especially relevant during Earth Week, which began Monday and culminates with the annual celebration of Earth Day on April 22 (Friday).

 An old saying is still true: "A picture is worth 1,000 words." It's especially true when anti-dairy activists are using social media and other platforms to tell a different U.S. dairy sustainability story. 

To provide more visuals for your toolbox, USDEC has curated some of the U.S. dairy industry's best photos, graphics and videos. We hope this helps you tell your sustainability story to your local communities, the nation and the world.

In the spirit of Earth Week, we encourage you to recycle, reuse and repurpose -- providing attribution when appropriate. We link to original sources.

PHOTOS

GLOBAL COLLABORATION: This photo was taken after USDEC and the 36-state Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture agreed in April to share science-based best practices to boost sustainable productivity. 

FARMER INNOVATION: Behind U.S. dairy's success in reducing its carbon footprint are stories of farmers dedicated to environmental stewardship. Read about some of them in a new article written by the National Milk Producers Federation's Nicole Ayache for Hoard's Dairyman.   

GRAPHICS

PERSPECTIVE: This graphic from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and cited in this article from USDEC compares the greenhouse gas footprint of U.S. dairy with other U.S. industries. Bottom line: Dairy contributes less than 2%. 

HEALTHY PEOPLE, HEALTHY PLANET: Dairy fits nicely into the sustainability equation because of the nutritional value it provides, as shown in this graphic posted on Facebook by Indiana Dairy. 

WHAT ONE FARM CAN DO: This graphic shows in relatable terms what a single farm committed to state-of-the-art sustainability practices can do, as shown in the above graphic from a Global Dairy Platform video.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE:  USDEC informs global customers about the progress U.S. dairy has made. Get a larger infographic here.

COWS' CONTRIBUTIONS: USDEC’s marketing teams have been proactive in telling the U.S. dairy sustainability story to a global B2B audience in a downloadable brochure (PDF).

SECTOR OVERVIEW: This graphic visually quantifies important aspects of the global dairy industry, from Darigold. 

QUANTIFIABLE GOALS: U.S. dairy has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral or better by the year 2050, as depicted in the above graphic from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Full sustainability report here. 

VIDEOS

CARBON NEUTRALITY: This video advertisement for the Undeniably Dairy campaign explains how cows will help the U.S. dairy industry meet ambitious climate goals by 2050.

GREEN FARMERS: This video by Dairy Good explains in 30 seconds what U.S. dairy farmers are doing to reduce their carbon footprints.

AT THE TABLE: Nick Gardner represents U.S. dairy at global summits like the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP 26). In this video, he speaks as the head of a new USDEC department: Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs.

FARMER FOCUS: In speeches and media interviews like this one with Yahoo!, USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden (right) praises U.S. dairy farmers for embracing the U.S. dairy industry's 2050 sustainability goals.

SUPPLIER FOCUS: An ongoing video series tells the stories of USDEC members honored for their day-to-day sustainability practices. The latest focus is on Darigold with past videos highlighting Idaho Milk Products and Leprino Foods.  

Mark O'Keefe is vice president of editorial services at the U.S. Dairy Export Council. IF you have a visual you would like to share with the rest of the industry, send it to Mark for consideration at mokeefe@usdec.org. 

Learn more:

• 5 facts about U.S. Dairy's commitment to sustainability this World Milk Day

• Three reasons to applaud dairy on Earth Day
• Net Zero Initiative builds momentum with new partnership featuring improved cow feed
• Dairy’s sustainable past sets us up for a more sustainable future
  
  

Subscribe to the U.S. Dairy Exporter Blog    

The U.S. Dairy Export Council fosters collaborative industry partnerships with processors, trading companies and others to enhance global demand for U.S. dairy products and ingredients. USDEC is primarily supported by Dairy Management Inc. through the dairy farmer checkoff. How to republish this post.