By Becky Rasdall Vargas, IDFA Senior Vice President, Trade and Workforce Policy
September 16, 2025
Today, IDFA is proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by reflecting on the intersection of careers in the United States and the experiences of individuals from diverse cultures—particularly Hispanic cultures—as they navigate professional opportunities.
This is also a very personal topic for me. My father-in-law, a native of Ecuador, came to the United States to pursue his dream of playing professional soccer. After just a few years, an injury forced him to set aside his dream, and he had to start working in a warehouse during the day and in food service at night. Over time, he moved from one job to another, and despite his tremendous skills and knowledge, he struggled to find a career that provided him with purpose and fulfillment.
My father-in-law’s experience is not unique. In agriculture, foreign-born workers make up 70% of the workforce. Many immigrants arrive in the United States with strong skills, valuable expertise, and in some cases, high levels of education, but they often face challenges in finding career paths that match their potential. This struggle can also impact second-generation Americans, who may see their parents encounter professional barriers and ultimately find themselves in similar situations. Whether due to language, cultural differences, or other hurdles, these challenges can limit opportunities for individuals who might otherwise thrive.
Conexión Láctea: Dairy Connection
At IDFA, we believe our industry is strongest when we embrace collaboration, innovation, diversity, and support for all professionals in dairy, regardless of background. That’s why, based on our commitment to empowering every segment of our workforce, we have launched Conexión Láctea (Dairy Connection), a professional community initiative designed to support Spanish speakers in dairy.
Conexión Láctea meets monthly to foster networking, peer support, and professional growth. Building on this foundation, we are excited to launch a mentorship program designed to strengthen these connections. Across all IDFA professional communities, we’ve seen how powerful mentorship can be—helping individuals explore attainable career paths, overcome challenges, and learn directly from experienced leaders who are eager to share their knowledge and guidance. We’ve witnessed the impact of mentorship through IDFA’s Women in Dairy mentoring circles. These circles serve as a model of community, camaraderie, and care that we hope to replicate for Conexión Láctea.
“Our industry needs to be able to tap into every segment of society and become a destination for talent. Hispanics, Latinos, Latinas, they are plentiful on the floor in a plant. They are not as plentiful when we look at the plant high offices and boardrooms. IDFA has identified that opportunity as well and that gap and we are creating the first mentoring circles for Hispanic, Latinos, Latinas in the dairy industry. – Jose Quijada, Senior Director of Digital Solutions, Ecolab, Conexión Láctea mentor
We encourage everyone to get involved, whether it’s by joining the Conexión Láctea network or volunteering as a mentor or mentee. Together, we can honor Hispanic Heritage Month with action. By working collectively as an industry, we can help break down barriers and open doors for all individuals to achieve the careers they aspire to.
At every stage of the dairy supply chain, attracting and retaining talented individuals is vital to keeping our industry thriving and ensuring families across the country and around the world continue to enjoy nutritious dairy products every day. At IDFA, we are committed to making dairy the best industry to build a career—and our success depends on sharing that message.
“Conexión Láctea is designed for Spanish-speaking people work work in the dairy industry and want to grow, learn, and connect. If you're looking for support in your career, this is a great place to start.” – Jose Matos, Senior Director of Finance at Organic Valley, Conexión Láctea mentor
Hear from Conexión Láctea mentors!
