Tag: dairy sustainability

NMPF Urges Sped-Up FDA Approval of Climate Friendly Feed Additives

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

ARLINGTON, VA — NMPF called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use existing legal authority to modernize its regulations allowing for faster approval of animal-feed additives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, submitting comments to the agency today that highlighted the need for urgent action to enhance dairy’s role as a climate solution.

“Innovative and voluntary solutions are needed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including methane,” said Dr. Jamie Jonker, NMPF’s chief science officer, in the comments submitted today. “Enteric emissions directly from cows currently account for roughly one third of all GHG emissions from dairy farms and present an important area of opportunity for methane reductions. Feed composition changes can directly or indirectly reduce enteric emissions resulting from livestock.”

While animal-feed additives are a promising path toward a net-zero future for dairy as outlined in industry goals, the pace of their approval lags that of competitors such as the European Union due to current FDA processes. By streamlining bureaucracy and allowing feed-additives to be treated as foods rather than as drugs, the United States can maintain and advance its global leadership in sustainability, Jonker wrote.

Through the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative, a collaboration across dairy organizations, dairy-farm research is advancing new technology and new market development opportunities to make sustainability practices more accessible and affordable to farms of all sizes, including enteric methane reduction.

“One of the greatest opportunities that exists for U.S. dairy farmers is their ability to provide real solutions to many of today’s biggest environmental challenges like GHG emissions,” Jonker wrote. “Embracing new practices and technologies is key to making America’s dairy farmers an environmental solution while providing wholesome and nutritious dairy products to the U.S. and the world.”

For more on how dairy is advancing its stewardship and best practices, visit the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program’s Environmental Stewardship page.

NMPF’s Bjerga on Annual Meeting, Dairy’s Challenges

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

NMPF Senior Vice President of Communications Alan Bjerga talks about some of the challenges dairy farmers face, and how they’re facing it together, in an interview with the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. As NMPF members gather in Denver this week for the organization’s annual meeting, milk-pricing modernization, sustainability and stewardship, and international trade are all taking the spotlight.

NMPF Statement on USDA Support for Dairy in Climate-Smart Commodities Projects

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

From NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern:

“America’s dairy community applauds USDA’s support for the robust efforts dairy farmers are leading to develop and implement climate-smart solutions that will benefit the entire food chain, from producer to consumer. As an agricultural leader in sustainability, dairy farmers appreciate this funding that will help us meet our ambitious industry-wide goals for net-zero emissions and optimized water use.

“NMPF is especially proud of the leadership its member cooperatives are showing in these critical areas, with several initiatives receiving significant USDA support. California Dairies Inc., Dairy Farmers of America, Land O’Lakes, and the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association – who are leading or partnering on specific projects that may receive up to $245 million in funding — each should be commended for their efforts, along with other dairy groups who are seeking to build a better future through climate-smart agriculture projects.”

Burkholders Sustain a Dairy for Generations to Come

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

In farming, success often means creating an operation that can sustain the next generation. And that requires embracing change. That balance of continuity and innovation is what Clint Burkholder and his family have tried to achieve.

“Things change very rapidly on the farm,” said Burkholder, owner of Burk-Lea Farms near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. “We’re striving to do the best that we can. We care for our animals. We care for the land. We need to treat the animals, treat the environment and everything to the best of our ability, because if we don’t, it won’t be there for the next generation.”

The Burkholder family, a member of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, milks 850 Holsteins, raises roughly 700 heifers and cultivate 1,400 acres of cropland. Animal care and environmental conservation is part of the business plan; they house their cows in free-stall barns with sand bedding and use cover crops and no-till on their cropland to benefit soil and water quality. The farm also has a manure separation system and a water recirculating system to recycle water.

For more of the family’s story and more profiles of innovative dairy farms, visit NMPF’s Sharing Our Story page.

Read the Profile Here

 

NMPF Commends Climate Provisions in Senate’s Inflation Reduction Act

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) commended the inclusion of $20 billion in new funding for USDA conservation programs in the Inflation Reduction Act which passed the Senate today.

The funding, spearheaded by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, will help dairy farmers advance their proactive sustainability leadership by enhancing farm bill conservation programs with an emphasis on key dairy areas of opportunity, including feed management. The new investments will provide important voluntary technical assistance to dairy farmers who undertake such stewardship practices, including targeted new funding that emphasizes critical farm practices that yield significant environmental benefits for dairy.

“Dairy farmers seize environmental sustainability opportunities whenever possible,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “The funding increases in this package will better position dairy farmers to effectively implement the dairy sector’s Net Zero Initiative and fulfill its 2050 environmental stewardship goals. We are very grateful to Chairwoman Stabenow for her success and leadership in securing this meaningful new conservation investment, which will be a game-changer for dairy.”

Dairy farmers in 2020 committed in their Net Zero Initiative to become greenhouse gas neutral or better by 2050, while also maximizing water quality and optimizing water use around the country.

Key wins for dairy among the climate-smart ag provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act include:

  • $8.45 billion in new funds for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which provides important technical assistance to dairy farmers, targeted toward stewardship practices that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
  • $25 million annually for Conservation Innovation Trials, with new funding targeted toward initiatives that use feed and diet management to reduce the enteric methane emissions that can comprise roughly one-third of a dairy farm’s greenhouse gas footprint. NMPF is excited for this opportunity to amplify its focus on reducing enteric emissions; and
  • $6.75 billion in new funds for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which funds locally developed, targeted partnership projects, emphasizing initiatives that incentivize or target reduced methane emissions.

NMPF and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives last year led a coalition of 12 agricultural and conservation organizations on a letter advocating for significant new funding for climate-smart agricultural practices while opposing tax policy proposals that could have undermined the transfer of family farms from one generation to the next. NMPF is pleased that those tax policy proposals are not included in this legislation and thanks the many members in both parties who advocated against them.

NMPF also looks forward to continuing to work with both Republicans and Democrats to enact climate and conservation policy into law. Last year, the Senate passed the Growing Climate Solutions Act, authored by Senator Mike Braun, R-IN, and Chairwoman Stabenow by a vote of 92-8. More recently, the House Agriculture Committee adopted the SUSTAINS Act authored by Ranking Member Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-PA, by a voice vote. Last month, NMPF worked with Reps. Jim Baird, R-IN, and Jimmy Panetta, D-CA, to secure new funding for animal feed additive approvals in pending appropriations legislation.

Dairy Unites Around National Dairy Month

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

National Dairy Month each June means a chance to celebrate all that U.S. dairy does to nourish consumers around the world and highlight the industry’s success, advancements and efforts to build a better future. RFD-TV’s Janet Atkison hosts a round-table discussion with DMI’s Jessica Learman, NMPF’s Alan Bjerga and Galen Smith, owner of Coldspring Farms in Deming, WA.

NMPF’s Jonker Discusses Net Zero Goals

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

This week is Earth Week, and the U.S. dairy industry is celebrating by highlighting the sustainability efforts of dairy farmers. Jamie Jonker, National Milk Producers Federation Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Sustainability and Scientific Affairs, says the biggest goal for dairy farmers was developed a few years ago to be greenhouse gas neutral, or better, by 2050. Jonker spoke with the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.

Dairy a Sustainability Leader, USDA’s Bonnie Says

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Dairy has long been an agricultural leader in efforts to enhance sustainability and combat climate change, said Robert Bonnie, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation, in a Dairy Defined podcast released today.

Even during times when farmers had questions about how climate policy was evolving, “Dairy stayed engaged, and continued to look for ways to, advance opportunities for, for producers,” Bonnie said. “That is notable and really important.”

Bonnie in the podcast explains USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative that it rolled out last month, as well as how climate-smart agriculture programs may evolve and expand. He also notes that the farmer signup deadline for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program ends March 25, encouraging dairy producers to participate.“One of the things USDA is really interested in, is making sure we have better data to make that case, to drive a narrative that demonstrates that agriculture can be part of a solution that it already is, that has already done things, and that there’s more to do and that agriculture is engaged,” he said. “I think driving that narrative to the broader public is really important.”

The full podcast is below. You can find and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,   Google Podcasts and Amazon Music under the podcast name “Dairy Defined.” Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file below. Please attribute information to NMPF.

NMPF Sustainability Priorities Gain Traction with Congress, USDA

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF’s producer-led climate and sustainability leadership is gaining attention from key members of Congress as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

NMPF Board of Directors member and California dairy producer Melvin Medeiros testified before a House Agriculture subcommittee on Feb. 3, touting dairy sustainability gains farmers have already made and outlining a path forward for further progress. Medeiros at the virtual hearing cited research showing that producing a gallon of milk in 2017 required 30% less water, 21% less land, had a 19% smaller carbon footprint, and produced 20% less manure than in 2007. He also cited dairy’s Net Zero Initiative as an example of proactive, producer-led agricultural leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“U.S. dairy farmers are environmental stewards. We tend with great care to our land and water to improve the resources on our farms and ensure future generations can carry on our important work of feeding the nation and the world,” said Medeiros, a member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative who serves on NMPF’s Executive Committee, in a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.

“We value a proactive approach to sustainability, which can take many different forms, and we have adapted as agricultural practices and technologies have evolved and improved over time,” said Medeiros, who owns and operates a 1,600-cow dairy in Laton, CA.

Medeiros, also featured in the latest NMPF Farmer Focus, asked lawmakers to support policy improvements that would assist producers in sustainability efforts, with examples including:

  • Enhanced funding for conservation programs with greater emphasis on areas like feed and manure management
  • An investment tax credit to cover the upfront capital costs of digesters to help reduce methane emissions, and
  • Expedited approval of innovative animal feed additives that can significantly diminish enteric emissions.

“NMPF and the dairy producers it represents are grateful to the House Agriculture Committee for inviting Melvin to highlight dairy’s commitment to a more sustainable future,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “But as he noted, improving sustainability will also require improving public policy to aid farmers in their critical stewardship mission. We stand ready to partner with Congress to get the job done.” NMPF worked closely with Medeiros and DFA to help strongly spotlight the dairy industry’s priorities during the hearing.

The week after the hearing, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Feb. 7 announced USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Initiative incorporating several key NMPF recommendations. The new initiative, using $1 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation, will provide grants to partners through a competitive process to implement pilot projects that incentivize farmers to adopt production practices that ensure their commodities have climate smart properties.

The partnership is emerging after months of NMPF efforts, including joint comments to USDA with Newtrient LLC as the department formulated the initiative. NMPF is pleased the program reflects key dairy priorities, emphasizing manure management as well as feed management to reduce enteric emissions among its targeted climate-smart ag practices. USDA has also highlighted the need to make the program work effectively for producers of all sizes, which is essential for meeting the U.S. dairy sector’s needs.

The first round of program applications will be due on April 8 to fund larger projects, defined as those seeking grant funding ranging from $5 million to $100 million. The second round of applications will be due on May 27 for smaller projects, defined as those seeking grant funding ranging from $250,000 to $4,999,999.

“We applaud Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and his team at USDA for working to fashion the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative in a way that will provide significant opportunities for U.S. dairy producers of all sizes to build on their proactive sustainability work. NMPF looks forward to working with USDA to make this program a success —and a springboard for additional achievements,” Mulhern said.

NMPF Commends USDA Leadership on Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

From NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern:

“We applaud Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and his team at USDA for working to fashion the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative in a way that will provide significant opportunities for U.S. dairy producers of all sizes to build on their proactive sustainability work. This new initiative will support voluntary, producer-led efforts to increase on-farm adoption of climate smart agricultural technologies and practices. Such efforts are essential to help U.S. dairy farmers fulfill their environmental stewardship goals to become greenhouse gas neutral or better by 2050 and improve water quality while optimizing water use.

“NMPF looks forward to working with USDA to make this program a success —and a springboard for additional achievements.”

NMPF Executive Committee Member Stresses Sustainability at House Ag Hearing

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF Board of Directors member and California dairy producer Melvin Medeiros told a House Agriculture subcommittee today that dairy farmers have made significant sustainability gains and stand ready to serve environmental solutions to make even further progress.

“U.S. dairy farmers are environmental stewards. We tend with great care to our land and water to improve the resources on our farms and ensure future generations can carry on our important work of feeding the nation and the world,” said Medeiros, a member of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative who serves on NMPF’s Executive Committee, in a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.

“We value a proactive approach to sustainability, which can take many different forms, and we have adapted as agricultural practices and technologies have evolved and improved over time,” said Medeiros, who owns and operates a 1,600-cow dairy in Laton, CA. “Farmers place a high importance on land and water stewardship, and our family farm-owners continue to perfect these practices through sustainable innovations on the farm.”

Medeiros in his testimony at the virtual hearing cited research showing that producing a gallon of milk in 2017 required 30% less water, 21% less land, had a 19% smaller carbon footprint, and produced 20% less manure than it did in 2007. He also cited dairy’s Net Zero Initiative as an example of proactive, producer-led agricultural leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Medeiros also asked lawmakers to support policy improvements that would assist producers in sustainability efforts, such as enhanced funding for conservation programs with greater emphasis on areas like feed and manure management, an investment tax credit to cover the upfront capital costs of digesters to help reduce methane emissions, and expedited approval of innovative animal feed additives that can significantly diminish enteric emissions. NMPF has previously hailed the landmark conservation funding increases in the Build Back Better Act and hopes that Congress will provide the funding needed to bolster these critical programs.

NMPF worked closely with Medeiros and DFA to help strongly spotlight the dairy industry’s priorities and concerns during the hearing.

“NMPF and the dairy producers it represents are grateful to the House Agriculture Committee for inviting Melvin to highlight dairy’s commitment to a more sustainable future,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “But as he noted, improving sustainability will also require improving public policy to aid farmers in their critical stewardship mission. We stand ready to partner with Congress to get the job done.”