By Connie Tipton, IDFA President and CEO

As we approach a new year, we have the opportunity to revamp our goals and re-plot our course, combining wisdom from past experiences with hopes and dreams for our future. It's a time to shed what we’ve learned doesn’t work and to refresh our approach to endeavors ahead.

So what will we shed and where should we head in 2013?

That answer is complicated.

Rising commodity costs, sluggish consumer spending and a teetering economy say “be cautious.” Yet the explosion of new products, such as Greek yogurt, and millions of new dairy consumers in emerging markets around the globe say “Let’s go!”

The dairy foods industry is a mixed bag. If you are in the fluid milk business, you know how tough it is to be part of a shrinking market with rising costs and burdensome government regulations. In ice cream, it’s about choices – indulgent versus portion-controlled, lower-fat and “better for you” options. For cheeses and ingredients, new formulations and new uses hold bright prospects for the future. And it’s a challenge for all to comply with regulations galore while competing for customers on value, quality, taste and, increasingly, social consciousness and sustainability.

Here are the top items on my list of what to shed and where to head in 2013.

This is an excerpt of an article that appeared in the November 2012 issue of Dairy Foods magazine.  Read the full article here.