The first-ever Sustainability Summit for U.S. Dairy was held this month, with the goal of deciding on a set of recommended actions to help dairy producers reduce their environmental impact while improving their businesses as a whole.

There has been a lot said about the methane-producing capabilities of the average dairy cow and dairy producers are willing to do what they can to make their industry more sustainable. "It makes economic sense to find ways to conserve energy and reduce production costs, while recognizing that a growing number of consumers care deeply about the health and environmental impact of the products they buy," said National Milk Producers Federation CEO Jerry Kozak.

Industry leaders, including non-governmental agencies, producers, processors, researchers and government, met for three days in Rogers, Arkansas. Participants included Dairy Management, Inc., the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation. The University of Arkansas’ Applied Sustainability Center acted as host. They put together a list of initiatives that, after further testing, will be released to dairy producers. This conference was the first industry-wide effort to address sustainability issues.

As the dairy industry works towards implementing green initiatives, it’s important to remember the wide variety or operations included in that description: everybody from the local dairy down the road to the giant manufacturer who makes cheese has a stake in the matter, as well as an opinion. Bringing such a disparate group of businesses together truly is an achievement.

Photo — James Jordan