Our Mission
Collaborate to advance solutions for a more sustainable world and a thriving U.S. dairy community.
Our Vision
U.S. dairy unlocks transformative good for people and the planet, becoming a catalyst for a healthy, sustainable future.
Where Dairy’s Future is Built, Together
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® unites leaders across the entire dairy value chain – farmers, cooperatives, processors, customers, and allied organizations – to work together on precompetitive priorities that build a stronger, more trusted dairy sector.
Learn MoreWhere Dairy’s Future is Built, Together
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® unites leaders across the entire dairy value chain – farmers, cooperatives, processors, customers, and allied organizations – to work together on precompetitive priorities that build a stronger, more trusted dairy sector.
Learn More2026 Dairy Sustainability Alliance® Spring Meeting
Don’t miss the Dairy Sustainability Alliance® Spring Meeting—bringing the full dairy value chain together to connect, learn, and drive shared progress
U.S. Dairy Sustainability Framework
Advance Well-being
Deliver dairy nutrition that meets emerging and personalized health needs, and enhances nutrition security.
Regenerate the Environment
Amplify U.S. dairy’s ongoing commitment to environmental progress by scaling regenerative solutions that sustain farms, communities, and the planet.
Care for our Animals and Communities
Ensure healthy animals, a vibrant workforce, and safe, high-quality dairy foods.
Focus Areas
99%
To achieve the U.S. dairy community’s vision of transformative good, the Innovation Center Dairy focuses on these shared priorities:
Animal Care
99% of U.S. milk production in ISO-verified FARM Animal Care Program.
Environmental Stewardship
Greenhouse gas emissions per unit of milk declined by 14.7% from 2007 to 2020, demonstrating that farmers are producing more milk using fewer resources and with a smaller environmental footprint per gallon.
Food Safety
5,000+ people in dairy processing have been trained in the latest food safety best practices
Health & Well-being
In partnership with U.S. dairy, Feeding America distributed 445 million pounds of dairy through its network in 2024
People & Community
The U.S. dairy industry supports over 3 million jobs and contributes nearly $800 billion to the U.S. economy.
The Value of a Precompetitive Forum
Founded by dairy farmers in 2008 through their checkoff, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy is a unique national forum that brings together leaders from across the entire dairy value chain – farmers, cooperatives, processors, customers, and allied industry – to address precompetitive priorities and strengthen trust in the dairy sector.
Guided by the voices and perspectives of farm and industry leaders, the Innovation Center builds alignment, sets shared priorities, and accelerates best practices on the most important topics impacting food and agriculture today, from modern wellness and environmental stewardship to food safety, nutrition, and innovation.
Dairy Sustainability Alliance®
The Innovation Center’s Dairy Sustainability Alliance® convenes a diverse network of companies and organizations across the dairy value chain to lead, align, and advance dairy’s sustainability and social responsibility efforts.
Get InvolvedU.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment®
The U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment® empowers and equips the U.S. dairy community to demonstrate sustainability progress through aligned action and reporting as an industry. Established by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, it is a voluntary pledge that unites dairy farmers, cooperatives, processors, and others in advancing practices that benefit people, communities, and the planet. Adopters commit to measurable, quantifiable progress in areas such as environmental stewardship, animal care, food safety, and workforce development.
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