Strategic planning exercise led by IDFA members prepares the dairy industry to thrive in the next decade of change and disruption
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2021—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the broadest trade association representing all segments of the dairy supply chain in the United States, recently completed a pre-competitive strategic planning process led by IDFA members to determine the forces shaping the industry and to update IDFA’s strategic focus to prepare the industry to grow and thrive over the next decade. The IDFA Vision for the Future identified several possible, plausible scenarios that could positively and negatively impact the future of the dairy industry. Industry leaders then made strategic choices that will best position the industry to thrive in the long term while avoiding pitfalls that could hamper the industry’s potential.
“I applaud our IDFA members for spearheading the IDFA Vision for the Future planning process so that the dairy industry is better prepared than ever to chart our own path toward growth and success,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of IDFA. “Like other sectors within food and agriculture, the dairy industry has been and is undergoing rapid and substantial transformation driven by major forces of change and disruption, including consumer preferences and behaviors, retailer channel environment, global trade and political dynamics, regulation, and science and technology. These forces are complex, interrelated, and can be highly uncertain. I’m grateful to our IDFA members for taking this important initiative to better prepare the U.S. dairy industry for future challenges and opportunities.”
The outcome of the IDFA Vision for the Future is an updated set of organizational priorities that include the addition of four new themes: Sustainability; Technology and Innovation; Workforce; and Nutrition, Health and Wellness. Overall, IDFA and its members are guided by 10 overarching strategic priorities that are carried out by IDFA’s five Industry Segment Boards—Fluid Milk, Ice Cream, Cheese, Yogurt and Cultured Products, and Dairy Ingredients—and the organization’s advocacy, regulatory, communications, and membership functions.
The goal of the IDFA Vision for the Future process is to equip IDFA to better advocate for a healthy and competitive U.S. dairy industry before the U.S. government, Congress and international actors. To learn more about the scenarios and outcomes of the IDFA Vision for the Future, please see the IDFA Vision for the Future Outcomes paper in the IDFA Knowledge Center.
# # #
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3.3 million jobs that generate $41.6 billion in direct wages and $753 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent 90 percent of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.