California dairy farmer Chuck Ahlem, co-owner of Hilmar Jerseys, shared his experiences in modern farming at the Consumer Federation of America’s 38^th Annual National Food Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., last month. Ahlem and Hilmar Jerseys, which was named the 2015 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by IDFA and Dairy Today magazine, are nationally recognized for leadership in animal care.

Ahlem participated in a panel that included Phillip E. Bradshaw, past chairman United Soybean Board; Roger Noonan, president of the New England Farmers Union; and Jennie Schmidt of Schmidt Farms, Inc. Philip Brasher, senior editor of Agri-Pulse Communications, moderated the panel.

Representing different facets of the agriculture community, the panel members discussed their individual priorities and how consumer preferences and market demands drive their decisions and activities. Specifically, the panel addressed topics surrounding use of foods grown or made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), environmental issues and sustainability efforts.

Philippe Caradec, vice president of corporate affairs for The Dannon Company, Inc., and an IDFA board member, participated in a separate panel discussion on “Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Past, Present and Future.” Tim Jackson, director of food safety for Nestle North America, participated in a discussion on effective strategies in “Implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act.”

The National Food Policy Conference, organized by the Consumer Federation of America, is collaboration between consumer advocates, the food industry and government and takes place in Washington, DC each spring. IDFA helped to sponsor this year’s conference. 

For more information, contact Ruth Saunders, IDFA vice president of policy and legislation affairs, at rsaunders@idfa.org.