The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® has two new resources available to advance the industry’s ability to track, improve and communicate sustainability performance and progress across the supply chain.
- The draft “Stewardship and Sustainability Guide for U.S. Dairy: A voluntary framework for tracking and communicating progress,” which has undergone a thorough review process by representatives from across the dairy industry and is now available for a 60-day open stakeholder consultation period
- The 2012 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report, the industry’s third annual report dedicated to reporting progress toward its sustainability goals
The Stewardship and Sustainability Guide for U.S. Dairy identifies the most important indicators for assessing dairy sustainability and communicating results. The indicators are based on scientific life cycle assessment studies commissioned by the Innovation Center, and the practical experience of industry members and other experts from nongovernmental, academic and government organizations.
The Guide has been through an extensive and collaborative industry-wide process of testing, piloting and refining content and incorporates initial input from dairy producers, cooperatives and dairy processors.
A 60-day stakeholder consultation period to obtain feedback that will help ensure the Guide is meaningful, useful and relevant begins on May 15, 2013, and runs through July 14, 2013.
Funding from government and nongovernmental organizations has increased by nearly 300 percent from 2008 to 2012, supplementing the industry’s own investments in sustainability projects. This progress is published in the 2012 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report, a comprehensive resource describing the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment and leadership of the dairy industry and its partners. The report covers challenges and opportunities facing the dairy industry in the 21st century, outlines environmental priorities and highlights the cow’s contribution to a sustainable food system. Using statistics, infographics and stories, the report provides a snapshot of the dairy industry supply chain from farm to table.
Source: Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®