Nearly 1,000 dairy leaders convened at Dairy Forum 2019 this week in Orlando, Fla., to discover ways to move dairy forward and position the industry in the year ahead. A Food and Drug Administration veteran, renowned experts and top industry executives shared their insights and perspectives on a wide variety of relevant topics to advance dairy on the path forward to growth and prosperity.

The powerful program sessions gave dairy leaders insights on Food and Drug Administration activities, ways to lead in an uncertain market and capture growth, strategies of women leaders in dairy, methods for engaging consumers, innovation through new nutrition science and a roadmap of the current political landscape.

Leading Dairy Forward

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO, addressed more than 1,000 dairy processors, producers, suppliers and other stakeholders on Monday at Dairy Forum 2019, stressing that the industry must embrace disruptive technologies and trends to continue along the path to future prosperity. “There is evidence all around us that what worked yesterday does not work today or may not work tomorrow,” Dykes said, and stressed that leaders will need to work as a team to listen, learn and lead bold changes to move dairy forward. He also outlined the top three areas that the industry will need to focus on to position dairy for continued success: sustainability, innovation and trade.

Resilience and Growth: Perspectives from McKinsey & Company

A feature presentation revealed independent research that global consulting firm McKinsey & Company conducted last fall, in partnership with IDFA. Based on the research, the consultants said U.S. dairy companies should consider four strategic responses – innovating to capture domestic growth, revamping their supply chain to serve a new type of demand, exporting to markets with high projected dairy deficits and attractive trading environments, and investing directly in deficit markets to maximize long-term success– to create a winning growth formula for dairy.

Food Safety Going Forward: Focus on Technology and Transparency

Stephen Ostroff, M.D., recently retired deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shared a broad perspective on the future of food safety and what to expect from FDA in 2019 and beyond. He also discussed the new technologies and transparency FDA is incorporating to continue to assure consumers of the safety of their food choices.

C-Suite Talks from the Top

One session highlighted insights from two dairy company CEOs, who gave concise and colorful talks about leading in today’s uncertain and challenging market. Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, and Mariano Lozano, CEO of Danone North America, shared their company’s pledge to consumers and farmers and explained how they are meeting market demands, building brands and finding ways to deliver profits. 

Women Leading Forward

A panel of distinguished women leaders shared their unique stories and ideas for encouraging more women to follow in their footsteps. They were Miriam Erickson Brown, president and CEO, Anderson Erickson Dairy Company; Beth Ford, president and CEO, Land O’Lakes, Inc.; Barbara Glenn, Ph.D., CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; Marilyn Hershey, owner operator, Ar-Joy Farms LLC and chairwoman, Dairy Management Inc.; and Patricia Stroup, global vice president and head of commodities, Nestlé S.A. Topics of discussion included the challenges they faced, the drive and determination they have, and the mentors and opportunities that helped to shape their careers and their many contributions to the dairy industry.

Open the Throttle and Dominate Your Marketplace

Ken Schmidt, former director of communications strategy at Harley-Davidson, wowed guests with a motorcycle ride to the stage. He discussed what motivates customers and their purchasing decisions and shared how he developed a communications campaign that garnered great results. Schmidt also went into detail about the dairy industry itself, demonstrating how each segment can harness the most basic drivers of human behavior to generate consumer demand and build loyalty.

Upending the Politics of Nutrition

Nina Teicholz, investigative journalist and author of “The Big Fat Surprise,” discussed ways dairy companies can take advantage of emerging shifts in nutrition science and policy. She dug deep into the details of new science on nutrition that dairy companies can use to advance existing brands and guide innovation efforts.

Voters Have Spoken: What Did Washington Hear?

Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios, offered a non-partisan insider’s perspective on the election results and the impact they’ll likely have on the 116^th Congress, companies and the 2020 presidential election.

Dairy Forum also featured several concurrent sessions that delved deeper into revealed research regarding consumer taste changes, specifically in the U.S. yogurt market, and trends in the global dairy market. Sessions also offered insights on the future of the dairy workforce and disruptive technologies that are already on the horizon.

More photos and live tweets are available through social media. See the conversation about this year’s #DairyForum here.

For more information, contact Heather Soubra, IDFA chief of staff, at hsoubra@idfa.org.