Representatives Collin Peterson (D-MN) (near left), ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, and Reid Ribble (R-WI) (near right), committee member, discussed the 2012 Farm Bill and dairy policy options at IDFA's Washington Conference in June. IDFA President and CEO Connie Tipton (far left) and IDFA Senior Vice President Jerry Slominski (far right) advocated for policies that will allow the industry to grow and create jobs by increasing domestic demand for dairy products and enhancing the industry's ability to compete in international dairy markets. 

Keep Dairy Strong

The U.S. dairy industry is an important contributor to the nation's economic well being and vitality.  Nationwide, hundreds of thousands of jobs are created by the dairy industry on farms, in processing plants, through marketing and transportation, in retail stores and in companies that supply inputs to the dairy industry.

Dairy policy in the United States includes both federal and state programs. The two major federal dairy programs are the Federal Milk Marketing Orders system, with 10 market areas, and the milk price support program. Government programs designed to assist international trade, such as the Dairy Export Incentive Program, also affect the dairy industry.

Current federal dairy policies and subsidy programs date back to the Great Depression and have not kept pace with the dynamic realities of today's marketplace. The outdated and complicated web of dairy support programs are regionally divisive and discourage innovation. To ensure the United States has a healthy and vibrant dairy industry that is able to meet the changing demands of the marketplace, IDFA continues to call for dairy policy reform.

• IDFA Dairy Policy Recommendations: Providing a Path to Growth and Opportunity, 4/22/11
• "A Look at Dairy Market Price Volatility and Options for Dairy Policy Reform," by Bob Yonkers, Ph.D., IDFA Vice President and Chief Economist, May 25, 2011
  More analyses and details on dairy policy proposals are posted under the "Documents" tab above.
• Visit www.KeepDairyStrong.com, IDFA's website devoted to providing information about government-run milk supply-control programs that set limits on how much milk a dairy can produce and impose penalties on dairies that produce too much milk.
• Join the conversation on Twitter @KeepDairyStrong.

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Bain & Co. Report Provides Roadmap to the Future

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy in 2009 commissioned a comprehensive study of dairy supply and demand around the globe, including an assessment of opportunities for and threats to the U.S. dairy industry. Conducted by Bain & Co., the study identified where the U.S. dairy industry held the best advantage to capture and fulfill a portion of the worldwide demand gap that will exist over the next decade. The research showed the industry may only grasp that opportunity if dairy policies are streamlined to fit better with global markets, which would provide incentives for growth and innovation.

• "The Impact of Globalization on the U.S. Dairy Industry: Threats, Opportunities, and Implications," 10/1/09

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• Executive Summary: Impact of NMPF’s Price-Enhancing Dairy Policy Proposals on Federal Nutrition Programs, 10/20/11
• Impact of NMPF’s Price-Enhancing Dairy Policy Proposals on Federal Nutrition Programs: How the Recommendations Would Increase Taxpayers Costs and Reduce Program Access, 10/20/11
• Response to Criticism of Informa's DMSP Study, 04/11
• What's Wrong with Foundation for the Future, 06/08/11
• "A Look at Dairy Market Price Volatility and Options for Dairy Policy Reform," by Bob Yonkers, Ph.D., IDFA Vice President and Chief Economist, 05/25/11
• IDFA Dairy Policy Recommendations: Providing a Path to Growth and Opportunity, 4/22/11
• "The Impact of Globalization on the U.S. Dairy Industry: Threats, Opportunities, and Implications," by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, 10/1/09

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