CHICAGO — “Innovation” and “sustainability” were the two most used words after “dairy” and “cows” at the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit in Chicago.
More than 1,100 dairy farmers, processors, policymakers and industry leaders from 50 countries celebrated the World Dairy Federation’s 120th birthday at the summit Oct. 15-20.
On opening day, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that “climate concerns and the impact on our ability to produce” are among the things that keep him up at night. Consumers are willing to invest in sustainable practices, but they need to know what they are, he said.
While dairy farmers from Europe and New Zealand talked extensively about their sustainability efforts and successes at the summit, many U.S. dairy farmers also prioritize such concerns on their farms.
In an individual interview at the event, Janet Clark, an Eldorado, Wisconsin, farmer and the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin chair, says her operation follows a variety of environment-friendly practices. These include using cover crops, having a digester for manure, and using water wisely — often recycling it three times in their dairy operation.
The family milks 150 cows and grows 1,100 acres of crops in Fond du Lac County in southeastern Wisconsin.
Strides are being made in sustainability on dairy farms, agrees Alex Peterson, a Missouri farmer who milks 150 cows with his brother, parents, and now a niece.
The National Dairy Board chairman, who farms in Grundy County in northern Missouri, says he considers his farm and others to be “independent research farms.” They keep looking for best practices. However, it takes capital to research and implement more efficient and sustainable products, he said.
Several speakers said farmers and the industry aren’t communicating well enough about what they are doing in sustainability efforts.
“As a farmer, it is my intention to talk about our advancements,” Peterson said.
Recognizing that a key to sustainability is innovation, the IDF held its second annual innovation awards. Among the winners was a Canadian company that has developed a new methane efficiency genetic evaluation. It helps dairy producers genetically select animals that will contribute to reduced methane emissions without sacrificing production levels.
“We’re the first in the world to do this,” said Brian Van Doormaal of Lactanet Canada the day after accepting the IDF’s Innovation in Climate Action top award.
Others are working on it, but he attributes the success of this project — 10 years in the making — to funding from the Canadian government, University of Guelph research, support from Semex, and international universities. The Canadian company also had the advantage of using data from 18 million cows since 2018 as a base for the research.
The genomic information created will help buyers who have a priority of reducing methane output in their herds choose the best cattle for that purpose. Semex, a partner in the development of the methane evaluation, and other artificial insemination companies that choose to buy the service, can provide the genomic information to their customers as well, Van Doormaal said.
Other international innovators were recognized for sustainable farming practices, animal care and socio-economic practices. Communication, food safety and nutrition, sustainable packaging processes, and empowerment of women were also recognized.
Europeans are ahead of the U.S. in sustainability regulations, but that worries some. Lloyd Day, deputy director general of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture-Latin America, says the creators of the European Green Deal haven’t talked to farmers enough in developing sustainability goals and regulations.
“The rest of the world is scared to death,” Day said of the implementation of some of the rules.
He calls for more policy to be science- and evidence-based.
“We need more farmers involved,” he said.
One man making a point to be involved is California dairy farmer Simon Vander Woude. He says success begins with economic sustainability — to be able to run a business and raise families for children to take over.
The dairy operation includes 3 megawatts of solar power which covers the entire surface of the dairy buildings and provides 10 to 15% of the power they use on the dairy operation. He said they wanted to go bigger to produce a higher percentage of the power used or to be able to sell some, but regulations prohibit it.
Farmers need to be able to plan ahead as some innovations like this take years to implement, but in today’s political atmosphere in the U.S., it is difficult, Vander Woude said.
“Water, sustainability, border policy keeps changing,” he says.
In the U.S., before “the political ping pong over the last 10 years,” the government seemed to be more moderate, he said. But big policy changes make it very difficult to plan for the future, he said
Still, he says farmers will continue to find opportunities in challenges.
“Efficiency is sustainability. It’s doing more with less,” he said.
There will be a different way for each farm to be sustainable, Vander Woude said.
